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Cyndi Lauper
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Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper (/ˈlɔːpər/ LAW-pər; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress.[2] Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing,[3] and for her powerful four-octave vocal range,[4] Lauper has sold over 50 million records worldwide.[5] She has also been celebrated for her humanitarian work, particularly as an advocate for LGBTQ rights in the United States.

Key Information

Her debut studio album, She's So Unusual (1983), was the first debut album by a female artist to achieve four top-five hits on the Billboard Hot 100—"Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "Time After Time", "She Bop", and "All Through the Night"—and earned Lauper the Best New Artist award at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards in 1985. The music video for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" won the Best Female Video Award at the inaugural 1984 MTV Video Music Awards and has been recognized by MTV, VH1 and Rolling Stone as one of the greatest music videos of the era.[6][7][8][9] Her second studio album, True Colors (1986), scored two more top-five hits; the title track and "Change of Heart". Lauper's chart success continued with the singles "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" (1985), "I Drove All Night" (1989) and into the 2000s with multiple #1 hits on the Hot Dance Club Play charts, "Same Ol' Story[10], and, "Into the Nightlife" (2008)[11].

Since 1983, Lauper has released twelve studio albums and participated in many other projects. In 2010, Memphis Blues became Billboard's most successful blues album of the year, remaining at number one on the Billboard Blues Albums chart for 13 consecutive weeks. In 2013, she won the Tony Award for Best Original Score for composing the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, making her the first woman to win the category by herself.[12] The musical was awarded five other Tonys, including Best Musical. In 2014, Lauper was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for the cast recording. In 2016, the West End production won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.[13]

Lauper's accolades include two Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Tony Award, three MTV Video Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is one of the few singers to win three of the four major American entertainment awards (EGOT). In 2015, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Lauper was selected for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025.[14] Her debut studio album ranked among Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[15] while "Time After Time" was included in VH1's list of the 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 years.[16] VH1 has ranked Lauper No. 58 of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll.[17]

Life and career

[edit]

1953–1979: Early life

[edit]

Lauper was born in Brooklyn, New York City,[18] to a Catholic family. Her father, Fred, was of Swiss-German descent, and a descendant of Christen Lauper, a leader of the Swiss peasant war of 1653.[19][20] Her mother, Catrine (née Gallo; 1930–2022),[21] was of Italian (Sicilian) descent. Lauper's siblings are her younger brother Fred (nicknamed Butch), and older sister Ellen.[22] Lauper's parents divorced when she was five.[23] Her mother remarried and divorced again.[24]

Lauper grew up in the Ozone Park[25] neighborhood of Queens and, as a child, listened to such artists as the Beatles and Judy Garland. At age 12, she began writing songs and playing an acoustic guitar given to her by her sister.[26][27]

Lauper expressed herself with a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing,[3] and took a friend's advice to spell her name as "Cyndi" rather than "Cindy". Her unconventional sense of style led to classmates bullying and throwing stones at her.[25]

Lauper went to Richmond Hill High School, but was expelled[28] although she later earned her General Educational Development (GED).[29][30] She ran away from home at 17 to escape her abusive stepfather,[25] intending to study art. Her journey took her to Canada, where she spent two weeks in the woods with her dog Sparkle, trying to find herself.[31] She eventually traveled to Vermont, where she took art classes at Johnson State College and supported herself working odd jobs.[32][33][34] In 2019, Lauper gave the commencement address at Northern Vermont University – Johnson, the academic institution that includes Johnson State. At this event, NVU bestowed upon her an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters.[34]

1980–1982: Blue Angel

[edit]
Main article: Blue Angel

In 1978, Lauper met saxophonist John Turi through her manager Ted Rosenblatt. Turi and Lauper formed a band named Blue Angel and recorded a demo tape of original music. Steve Massarsky, manager of the Allman Brothers Band,[35] heard the tape and liked Lauper's voice. He bought Blue Angel's contract for $5,000 and became their manager.[36]

Lauper received recording offers as a solo artist, but held out, wanting the band to be included in any deal she made. Blue Angel was eventually signed by Polydor Records and they released their debut and sole studio album Blue Angel on the label in 1980. Lauper hated the album cover, saying that it made her look like Big Bird, but Rolling Stone magazine later included it as one of the 100 best new wave album covers (2003). Despite critical acclaim, the album sold poorly ("It went lead", as Lauper later joked) and the band broke up. The members of Blue Angel had a falling-out with Massarsky and fired him as their manager. He later filed an $80,000 suit against them, which forced Lauper into bankruptcy.[37] After this Lauper temporarily lost her voice due to an inverted cyst in her vocal cord.[38]

After Blue Angel broke up, Lauper spent time, due to her financial problems, working in retail stores, waitressing at IHOP (which she quit after being demoted to hostess when the manager sexually harassed her),[25] and singing in local clubs. Her most frequent gigs were at El Sombrero.[38] Music critics who saw Lauper perform with Blue Angel believed she had star potential due to her four-octave singing range.[4] In 1981, while singing in a local New York bar, Lauper met David Wolff, who took over as her manager and had her sign a recording contract with Portrait Records, a subsidiary of Epic Records.[39]

1983–1985: She's So Unusual

[edit]
Main article: She's So Unusual
Lauper performing in 1984

On October 14, 1983, Lauper released her debut solo studio album, She's So Unusual. The album became a worldwide hit, peaking at No. 4 in the U.S. and reaching the top five in eight other countries. The primary studio musicians were Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman (of the Hooters), Rick Chertoff, Richard Termini and Peter Wood. Lauper became popular with teenagers and critics alike, in part due to her hybrid punk image, which was crafted by stylist Patrick Lucas.[40]

Lauper co-wrote four songs on She's So Unusual, including the hits "Time After Time" and "She Bop". On the songs she did not write, Lauper sometimes changed the lyrics; for instance, Lauper found the original lyrics to "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" to be misogynistic, so she rewrote the song as an anthem for young women.[41]

The album includes five cover songs, including the Brains' new wave track "Money Changes Everything" (No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100) and Prince's "When You Were Mine". The album made Lauper the first female artist to have four consecutive Billboard Hot 100 top five hits from one album. The album stayed in the Top 200 charts for more than 65 weeks, and since has sold 16 million copies worldwide.[42][43]

Lauper won Best New Artist at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards (1985). She's So Unusual also received nominations for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"), and Song of the Year (for "Time After Time"). She wore almost a pound of necklaces at her award ceremony. It also won the Grammy for Best Album Package, which went to the art director, Janet Perr.[44][45]

Lauper in 1985

The music video for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" won the inaugural award for Best Female Video at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards, and made Lauper an MTV staple. The video featured professional wrestling manager "Captain" Lou Albano as Lauper's father, and her real-life mother, Catrine, as her mother,[46] and also featured her attorney, her manager, her brother Butch, and her dog Sparkle.[47] In 1984–85, Lauper appeared on the covers of the magazines Rolling Stone, Time, and Newsweek. She appeared twice on the cover of People, and was named a Ms. magazine Woman of the Year in 1985.[48]

In 1985, Lauper participated in USA for Africa's famine-relief fund-raising single "We Are the World", which sold more than 20 million copies since then.[49]

Lauper appeared with professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, who was cast as her "bodyguard" and would also later make many appearances as herself in a number of the World Wrestling Federation's "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection" events, and after making her debut in the World Wrestling Federation in June 1984, became Wendi Richter's manager. Half a year after Captain Lou Albano appeared in the "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" music video, an angle developed where Lauper feuded with the sexist Albano,[50] and managed Richter when she defeated Albano's choice The Fabulous Moolah for the WWF Women's Championship at the The Brawl to End It All, which was broadcast live on MTV on July 23, 1984.[51] By the end of 1984, the storyline feud between Lauper and Albano was dropped when Albano turned face, with Albano even becoming more friendly towards Lauper.[52] In spite of this, Lauper still continued to make some appearances at WWF shows as Richter's manager during Richter's 1984-1985 WWF run, including at the inaugural WrestleMania event.[53] Dave Wolff, Lauper's boyfriend and manager at the time, was a wrestling fan as a boy, and engineered the rock and wrestling connection.[54] Salt Lake City radio station 92.5 The Beat has described Lauper, who was instrumental in the WWF's early ties to MTV, as having helped put the WWF "on the Map" and for having "a key role in launching WWF into the mainstream."[55]

In May 1985, Lauper released the single "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough," from the soundtrack to the film The Goonies, and an accompanying music video which featured several wrestling stars, Steven Spielberg, the majority of The Goonies cast, and the then relatively unknown Bangles. The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[56]

However, Wendi Richter, and with her Lauper, would cease making more frequent appearances in the WWF when Richter lost the Women's Championship in a controversial match with The Fabulous Moolah in October 1985 which saw a real life "screwjob" finish.[57][58]

1986–1988: True Colors and Vibes

[edit]

Lauper received a nomination at the 1986 Grammy Awards: Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for "What a Thrill," another in the same category the following year (for the album track "911") and yet another in 1988, Best Long Form Music Video for Cyndi Lauper in Paris.[59]

Lauper released her second studio album, True Colors in 1986. It entered the Billboard 200 at No. 42 and rose to its #4 peak.[60]

In 1986, Lauper appeared on Billy Joel's tenth studio album The Bridge, with a song called "Code of Silence". She is credited as having written the lyrics with Joel and she sings harmony vocals with him. In the same year, Lauper also sang the theme song for the children's television series Pee-wee's Playhouse, credited as "Ellen Shaw". In 1987, David Wolff produced a concert film for Lauper called Cyndi Lauper in Paris. The concert was broadcast on HBO.[61]

Lauper made her film debut in August 1988 in the quirky comedy Vibes, alongside Jeff Goldblum, Peter Falk, and Julian Sands. Lauper played a psychic in search of a city of gold in South America. Deborah Blum and Tony Ganz produced the film, with David Wolff as associate producer. To prepare for the role, Lauper took a few classes in finger waving and hair setting at the Robert Fiancé School of Beauty in New York, and studied with a few Manhattan psychics. The film flopped and was poorly received by critics, but would later be considered a cult classic.[62][63]

Lauper contributed a track called "Hole in My Heart (All the Way to China)" for the Vibes soundtrack, but the song was not included. A music video was released, a high energy, comic action/adventure romp through a Chinese laundry. The song reached No. 54 on the US charts,[64] but fared better in Australia, reaching No. 8.[65]

1989–1992: A Night to Remember and marriage

[edit]

A Night to Remember – Lauper's third studio album – was released on May 9, 1989. The album had one U.S. hit, the No. 6 single "I Drove All Night", originally recorded by Roy Orbison in 1987, though Lauper's version came out first, and Orbison's version was not released until 1991. Lauper received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 1990 Grammy Awards for "I Drove All Night", but overall album sales for A Night to Remember were down. The music video for the album's song "My First Night Without You" was one of the first to be closed-captioned for the hearing impaired.[66]

Due to a friendship with Yoko Ono, Lauper took part in the May 1990 John Lennon tribute concert in Liverpool, performing the Beatles song "Hey Bulldog", and the John Lennon song "Working Class Hero".[67] She also took part in Ono and Lennon's son Sean's project called the Peace Choir, performing a new version of Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance".[68][better source needed]

Husband David Thornton, Lauper at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2009

On November 24, 1991, Lauper married actor David Thornton.[69] Also that year she starred in the comedy mystery film Off and Running with David Keith.

1993–1995: Hat Full of Stars and Twelve Deadly Cyns

[edit]

Lauper's fourth studio album Hat Full of Stars was released on May 21, 1993, and was met with critical acclaim, but failed commercially, unsupported by her label. The album, which tackled such topics as homophobia, domestic violence, racism, and abortion sold fewer than 120,000 copies in the United States and peaked at No. 112 on the Billboard charts.[70] The music video for the album's song "Sally's Pigeons" features the then-unknown Julia Stiles as the young Cyndi.[71]

In 1993, Lauper returned to acting, playing Michael J. Fox's ditzy secretary in the poorly received comedy flop film Life with Mikey. However, she won an Emmy Award for her guest role as Marianne Lugasso in the television sitcom Mad About You.[72]

1996–2000: Motherhood, Sisters of Avalon and Merry Christmas ... Have a Nice Life

[edit]
Lauper performing in 2000

On November 19, 1997, aged 44, Lauper gave birth to her son, Declyn Wallace Lauper Thornton.[73] Her fifth studio album, Sisters of Avalon, was released in Japan in October 1996, and elsewhere in April 1997. The album was written and produced with the help of Jan Pulsford (Lauper's keyboardist) and producer Mark Saunders. As in Hat Full of Stars, some of the songs in Sisters of Avalon addressed dark themes. The song "Ballad of Cleo and Joe" addressed the complications of a drag queen's double life. The song "Say a Prayer" was written for a friend of hers who had died from AIDS. "Unhook the Stars" was used in the drama film Unhook the Stars (1996). Again without support from her label, the release failed in America, spending a single week on the Billboard album chart at No. 188. This album also met with much critical praise, including People magazine, which declared it "'90s nourishment for body and soul. Lauper sets a scene, makes us care, gives us hope."[74]

On October 27, 1998, she released her sixth studio album and first Christmas album, Merry Christmas ... Have a Nice Life. It combines original compositions by Lauper and collaborator Jan Pulsford with traditional Christmas songs. "Feels Like Christmas" previously appeared on Lauper's studio album Hat Full of Stars (1993).

On January 17, 1999, Lauper appeared as an animated version of herself in The Simpsons episode "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken", singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" to the melody of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". That same year, Lauper opened for Cher's Do You Believe? Tour alongside the girl group Wild Orchid.[75] She also appeared in the films Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994) and The Opportunists (1999).[76] She contributed to the soundtrack of the animated comedy film, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000), performing the song "I Want a Mom That Will Last Forever".

2001–2004: Shine and At Last

[edit]

On October 12, 2000, Lauper took part in the television show Women in Rock, Girls with Guitars performing with Ann Wilson of Heart and with the girl group, Destiny's Child. A CD of the songs performed was released exclusively to Sears stores from September 30 to October 31, 2001, and was marketed as a fundraiser for breast cancer.[77]

In April 2002, Sony issued a compilation album, The Essential Cyndi Lauper. Lauper also released a cover album with Sony/Epic Records entitled At Last (formerly Naked City), which was released in November 2003. At Last received one nomination at the 2005 Grammy Awards: Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s), for "Unchained Melody". The effort was also a commercial hit, selling 4.5 million records[78]

In April 2004, Lauper performed during the VH1's benefit concert Divas 2004 alongside Ashanti, Gladys Knight, Jessica Simpson, Joss Stone and Patti LaBelle, in support of the Save the Music Foundation.[79]

2005–2007: The Body Acoustic

[edit]

She released her ninth studio album The Body Acoustic and made appearances on Showtime's hit show Queer as Folk in 2005, directed a commercial for Totally 80s edition of the board game Trivial Pursuit in 2006, served as a judge on the 6th Annual Independent Music Awards and made her Broadway debut in the Tony-nominated The Threepenny Opera as Jenny. She performed with Shaggy, Scott Weiland of Velvet Revolver and Stone Temple Pilots, Pat Monahan of Train, Ani DiFranco, and the Hooters in the VH1 Classic special Decades Rock Live!. In 2006, she sang "Message to Michael" with Dionne Warwick[80] and "Beecharmer" with Nellie McKay on McKay's second studio album, Pretty Little Head.[81]

On October 16, 2006, Lauper was inducted into The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.[82] In 2007, she served as a guest performer on the song "Lady in Pink" on an episode of the Nick Jr. show The Backyardigans.

2008–2009: Bring Ya to the Brink

[edit]
Lauper performing in 2008

Lauper's tenth studio album, Bring Ya to the Brink, was released in the United States on May 27, 2008.[83] Other projects for 2008 included the True Colors Tour and a Christmas duet with Swedish rock band the Hives, entitled "A Christmas Duel". The song was released as a CD single and a 7" vinyl in Sweden.[84] Lauper also performed on the "Girls Night Out", headlining it with Rosie O'Donnell in the US.[85]

In 2009, Lauper guest starred on her first of five episodes of Bones on Fox, as psychic Avalon Harmonia.

On November 17, 2009, Lauper performed a collaborative work with Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean called "Slumdog Millionaire", performing it on the Late Show with David Letterman.[86]

2010–2012: The Celebrity Apprentice, Memphis Blues and memoir

[edit]

In January 2010, Mattel released a Cyndi Lauper Barbie doll as part of their "Ladies of the 80s" series.[87]

In March 2010, Lauper appeared on NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice, coming in sixth place.[88]

Memphis Blues—Lauper's eleventh studio album—was released on June 22, 2010, and debuted on the Billboard Blues Albums chart at No. 1, and at No. 26 on the Billboard Top 200. The album remained No. 1 on the Blues Albums chart for 14 consecutive weeks; Memphis Blues was nominated for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 2011 Grammy Awards.[89]

Lauper made international news in March 2011 for an impromptu performance of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" while waiting for a delayed flight at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A video was later posted on YouTube.[90][91]

In November 2011, she released two Christmas singles exclusive to iTunes. The first release was a Blues-inspired cover of Elvis Presley's classic "Blue Christmas", and the second was a new version of "Home for the Holidays", a duet with Norah Jones. In June 2012, Lauper made her first appearance for WWE in 27 years, to promote WWE Raw's 1000th episode to memorialize "Captain" Lou Albano.[92]

In September 2012, Lauper performed at fashion designer Betsey Johnson's 40 year Retrospective Fashion show.[93] That month Lauper also published her memoir Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir, in which she detailed her struggle with childhood abuse and depression.[28]

2013–2015: Kinky Boots and touring

[edit]

Lauper composed music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, with Harvey Fierstein writing the book. The musical was based on the British comedy-drama film Kinky Boots (2005). It opened in Chicago in October 2012[94] and on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on April 4, 2013.[95] In May, she won Best Score for Kinky Boots at the 63rd annual Outer Critics Circle Awards.[96] The musical led the 2013 Tony Awards, with 13 nominations and six wins including Best Musical and Best Actor. She won the award for Best Original Score.[97] Lauper was the first woman to win solo in this category. After a six-year run and 2,507 regular shows, Kinky Boots ended its Broadway run on April 7, 2019. It is the 25th-longest-running Broadway musical in history. It grossed $297 million on Broadway.[98]

In the summer of 2013, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of her debut studio album She's So Unusual, Lauper embarked on an international tour covering America and Australia. The show consisted of a mix of fan favorites and the entirety of the She's So Unusual album. She was a guest on 36 dates of Cher's Dressed to Kill Tour, starting April 23, 2014.[99][100] A new studio album was confirmed by Lauper on a website interview.[101]

Lauper hosted the Grammy Pre-Telecast at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Jan 26,[102] where she later accepted a Grammy for Kinky Boots (Best Musical Theater Album).[103]

On April 1 (March 1 in Europe), Lauper released the 30th Anniversary edition of She's So Unusual through Epic Records[104] It featured a remastered version of the original album plus three new remixes. The Deluxe Edition featured bonus tracks such as demos and a live recording as well as a 3D cut-out of the bedroom featured in the "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" music video with a reusable sticker set.[105]

On September 17, 2014, Lauper sang on the finale of America's Got Talent.[25][106] On September 25, as part of The Today Show's Shine a Light series, Lauper re-recorded "True Colors" in a mashup with Sara Bareilles' "Brave" to raise awareness and money for children battling cancer.[107] By October the project had raised over $300,000.[108]

The Songwriters Hall of Fame included Lauper in its nomination list in October 2014.[109] Also during October, Lauper's fourth consecutive 'Home for the Holidays' benefit concert for homeless gay youth was announced. Acts included 50 Cent and Laverne Cox with 100% of the net proceeds going to True Colors United.[110]

In March 2015, Lauper once again guest starred on the crime show Bones as Avalon Harmonia.[111]

Lauper promoted her work with Novartis and the National Psoriasis Foundation, and discussed her own five years with psoriasis, on The Today Show in July 2015. She also announced a project with producer Seymour Stein, which she later told Rolling Stone was a country album coproduced by Tony Brown.[112]

On September 15, 2015, Kinky Boots opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End.[113]

On August 30, 2017, songwriters Benny Mardones and Robert Tepper sued Lauper for lifting elements from their 1980 song "Into the Night" for Kinky Boots' final song "Raise You Up".[114] In August 2019, a filed letter by Mardones' lawyer stated that all parties involved have agreed in principle to settle the case. No more details were given at the time.[115]

2016–2019: Detour

[edit]

In January 2016, Lauper announced she would release a new studio album on May 6, 2016. This was composed of her interpretations of early country classics entitled Detour.[116] The announcement was supported by a release of her version of Harlan Howard's "Heartaches by the Number" and a performance on Skyville Live with Kelsea Ballerini and Ingrid Michaelson.[117] On February 17, 2016, she released her version of Wanda Jackson's "Funnel of Love".[118]

In February 2016, Lauper was nominated for an Laurence Olivier Award for her contribution to the UK production of Kinky Boots along with Stephen Oremus, the man responsible for the arrangements.[119] In January 2017, this production's album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.[120]

In May 2016, Lauper was featured on the song "Swipe to the Right" from Electronica 2: The Heart of Noise by French composer, performer and record producer Jean-Michel Jarre. It is the second of a two-part album (the first being Electronica 1: The Time Machine) that is based around collaborations with other electronic musicians from a wide range of decades and styles.[121]

In October 2016, her son Dex Lauper was the opening act for her Scottsdale, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada dates on her Detour Tour.[122]

In January 2017, Lauper was featured on Austin City Limits' 42nd season performing some of her classic songs alongside country tunes from Detour. The episode aired on PBS.[123]

In 2017, Lauper, together with "Time After Time" songwriter Rob Hyman, contributed the track "Hero Is My Middle Name" for the musical SpongeBob SquarePants.[124]

In March 2018, it was announced that Lauper and Hyman were also going to compose the score for the musical version of the romantic comedy drama film Working Girl (1988) which starred Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Cusack, and Melanie Griffith. She teamed up with Hyman because she wanted "the music to sound like the 80s". The musical was staged by Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley. A developmental production premiere of the musical is planned for the 2021/2022 season.[125][126]

Lauper guest starred playing a lawyer in an episode of the reboot of the action drama television series Magnum P.I.. The episode, titled "Sudden Death", aired on October 22, 2018.[127]

On November 15, 2018, it was announced that Lauper would receive the Icon Award at the Billboard's 13th annual Women in Music Event on December 6 in New York City. According to Jason Lipshutz, Billboard's editorial director, "The entire world recognizes the power of Cyndi Lauper's pop music, and just as crucially, she has used her undeniable talent to soar beyond music, create positive change in modern society and become a true icon".[128]

The song "Together" was featured in the Canadian animated film Racetime released in January 2019. Originally written and performed in French by Canadian singer and musician Dumas, Lauper performed the English translation in the English version of the film originally titled La Course des tuques.[129]

On June 26, 2019, Lauper performed at the opening ceremony of Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019.[130] Backed by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Wilkins, Lauper played two concerts on July 12 and 13, 2019 at the Hollywood Bowl.[131]

On September 6, 2019, the 2-disc compilation album, Japanese Singles Collection – Greatest Hits was released, nine days after its original Japanese release. It includes all of Lauper's singles released in Japan from 1983 to 1995 in chronological order. The second disc contains 26 music videos. Nine of these were available for the first time on DVD.[132][needs update]

In September 2019, it was announced that Lauper would star alongside Jane Lynch in the new Netflix comedy series described as "kind of The Golden Girls for today".[133][134] As of March 2025, there had not been any updates on this project.

2020–present: Let the Canary Sing, farewell tour, Grammy Salute, Las Vegas residency

[edit]

On January 26, 2020, Lauper sang a chorus from the song "I Sing the Body Electric" of the soundtrack from the teen musical drama film Fame (1980) at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony held in Los Angeles. Other performers were Ben Platt, Camila Cabello, Debbie Allen, who starred in the original film, and more. It was a sendoff to long time Grammy Awards television producer Kenneth Ehrlich. He retired after a four-decade run of producing the show.[135][136]

On April 23, 2020, Lauper participated in an online fundraising concert to raise money for LGBTQ nightlife workers who struggled financially because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lauper ended the concert performing "True Colors". The concert was initiated by the Stonewall Inn Gives Back nonprofit organization of the historic Greenwich Village gay bar. Other performing artists were Kate Pierson of the B-52s, Our Lady J, Rufus Wainwright and Darren Hayes of Savage Garden amongst others.[137]

In 2020, Lauper and Rob Hyman co-wrote the track "Secret to the Formula" for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.[138]

In November 2020, Lauper dueted with former top-10 American Idol finalist Casey Abrams on a cover version of the 1965 protest song "Eve of Destruction", written by P. F. Sloan.[139]

In November 2021, Lauper featured as guest vocalist on the track "Blame it on Christmas" by Shea Diamond. An official video was released the following month.[140]

Lauper performed at the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute Show honoring Joni Mitchell on April 1.[141]

Lauper speaking to reporters at the White House in 2022

In May 2022, it was announced that Alison Ellwood would direct a career retrospective documentary about Lauper. The film, entitled Let the Canary Sing, encased Lauper's 40+ year career, and was produced by Sony Music Entertainment. The documentary premiered in June 2023.[142]

In December 2022, Lauper and Alex Nolan performed "True Colors" at a White House celebration.[143] That day, president Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law. Quote, 'The new law provides federal recognition to same-sex marriages, a measure born out of concern that the Supreme Court could reverse its legal support of such relationships'.[144]

In January 2023, she was among the nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, "Seeing my name on this year's ballot with so many talents that I admire means so much to me", she adds. "It has been a lifetime privilege to reach so many different kinds of fans with a message of following your own path (and having fun along the way, too)", said Lauper.[145][146] Lauper was not inducted in 2023, but was selected for induction in 2025.[147]

In July 2023, Lauper released the track "Oh Dolores". The song was written for the black comedy horror television series The Horror of Dolores Roach, released on Prime Video in July 2023. Lauper also had a recurring guest role in the series, though it was canceled after one season.[148][149]

The soundtrack single "Gonna Be You" from the movie 80 for Brady was released in January 2023. The song was written by Diane Warren, and performed by Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry and Gloria Estefan. The official music video shows Parton, Carlisle, Lauper, and Estefan performing while wearing football jerseys similar to the ones worn by the women in the film, interspersed with clips from the film.[150]

February 2024 brought major news for Lauper. She announced collaboration with Pophouse (owned by Björn Ulvaeus) after they bought parts of her song catalog, including "True Colors" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" but not her Broadway music. Future projects would include a television series and a festival, as well as an immersive theater experience.[151][152]

Lauper performing at the Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, Somerset, 2024

Let the Canary Sing, a documentary directed by Alison Ellwood about Lauper's career debuted on Paramount+ on June 4, 2024. The soundtrack for the documentary had been released on May 31, 2024.[153] One day before the release of Let the Canary Sing, Lauper announced that she would be holding one last series of concerts before retiring from touring. Her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour began in Montreal, Canada, on October 18, 2024, and ended on August 30, 2025, at the Hollywood Bowl. Lauper stated she wanted to host the farewell tour to properly thank her fans while she was still in good shape.[154] On June 29, 2024, Lauper performed at the Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, Somerset, England.[155][156]

On October 5, 2025, her "Grammy Salute" special, which was held at the Hollywood Bowl, aired on CBS and Paramount+.[157] The next day, the singer announced her first-ever residency, Cyndi Lauper: Live in Las Vegas, taking place at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, with concerts starting in April 2026.[158]

Activism

[edit]
Lauper performing at the Gay Games VII, Wrigley Field, July 22, 2006

Lauper has been an LGBT rights supporter throughout her career, campaigning for equality through various charities and gay pride events around the world. Lauper stated that she became involved in gay rights advocacy because her sister Ellen is a lesbian and because Lauper herself was passionate about equality. Lauper cites her sister Ellen as a role model.[159]

Her song "Above the Clouds" celebrates the memory of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man beaten to death in Wyoming. As a member of the Matthew Shepard Foundation Board, Lauper devoted a concert tour in 2005 to promoting the Foundation's message.[160]

She co-founded the True Colors tour for Human Rights throughout the United States and Canada in June 2007. One dollar from each ticket was earmarked for the Human Rights Campaign, which advocates equal rights for LGBT individuals.[161]

In 2008, Lauper started True Colors United The organization works to end youth homelessness, focusing on the experiences of LGBT youth. She set up the True Colors Residence in New York City for LGBT homeless youths. The 30-bed facility offers temporary shelter and job placement help.[162] In April 2010, TCU launched the Give a Damn campaign, to help get straight people more involved in LGBT rights.[159] In December 2022, Lauper performed her song "True Colors" at the ceremony where U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law.[163]

In August 2008, she contributed an article titled "Hope" to HuffPost, encouraging Americans to vote for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election.[164] Lauper performed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.[159] During 2022, Lauper launched the Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights Fund, with a mission to support organizations "fighting for the right to abortion and reproductive healthcare."[165]

Legacy

[edit]
Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry performing "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" at VH1 Divas. Both artists have said that they are influenced by Lauper's sound and look.

Lauper was described by AllMusic's Lindsay Planer as "an iconoclastic vocalist who revolutionized the role of women in rock and roll".[166] Over her 40-year career, she influenced multiple recording artists including Katy Perry,[167] Lady Gaga,[168] Vanessa Paradis,[169] Tegan and Sara,[170] Kim Petras,[171] Nicki Minaj,[172] Poppy[173] and Yelle.[174] Lauper received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015.[175]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Spotify said that She's So Unusual and Lauper's distinctive idiosyncratic appearance "helped popularize the image of punk and new wave for America, making it an acceptable part of the pop landscape".[169] Rolling Stone magazine stated that her debut was "arguably the first time explicitly punk-influenced elements were front-and-center on the pop landscape, both musically and via Lauper's Patrick Lucas-styled ensembles, dressing up the droll Reagan decade in feminist chutzpah".[176] The album ranked at No. 487 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003. The album ranked at No. 41 on Rolling Stone's list of Women Who Rock: The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2012.[177] Rolling Stone's review stated, "A wild and wonderful skyrocket of a voice ... Lauper's extraordinary pipes connect with the right material, the results sound like the beginning of a whole new golden age." Thirty years after its release, Entertainment Weekly called it an "everlastingly saucy supersmash".[178]

Sheila Moeschen argued that "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" "embodied a different kind of feminine aesthetic that ran counter to the raw sensuality and edginess of her contemporaries like Madonna or veteran rockers Joan Jett and Pat Benatar", that introduced "a nation of women to a new kind of female role model, one that celebrated difference and encouraged playfulness in self-expression".[179] John Rockwell wrote that the song was "a giddily upbeat attestation to female pleasure that simultaneously made a feminist statement, fulfilled male fantasies and—especially in its often-played video version—evoked the warmth of family and friends".[180] Its music video won the first-ever Best Female Video prize at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards. It featured a multicultural cast of women with teased, sideways hair and neon eye shadow, singing alongside Lauper.[7]

"Time After Time" has been covered by over a hundred artists and was ranked at No. 22 on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 Years[181] and at No. 19 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s.[182]

"She Bop", the third single from She's So Unusual, is the first and only top ten song to directly mention a gay porn magazine. An ode to masturbation, it was included in the PMRC's "Filthy Fifteen" list that led to the Parental Advisory sticker appearing on recordings thought to be unsuitable for young listeners.[183] In a retrospective, Rolling Stone ranked it the 36th best song of 1984, praising its unusual playfulness regarding sexuality.[184]

"True Colors" is a gay anthem, after which True Colors United, which advocates for runaway and homeless LGBT youth, is named.[185]

Discography

[edit]
Main article: Cyndi Lauper discography
Further information: Blue Angel (band) § Discography

Live performances

[edit]
Tours
Residencies
  • Cyndi Lauper: Live in Las Vegas (2026)

Filmography

[edit]

Theatre

[edit]
Table featuring theatre with Cyndi Lauper
Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2000 Matters of the Heart Herself Broadway concert
[186]
2006 The Threepenny Opera Jenny (Ginny Jenny/Low-Dive Jenny) Broadway musical
[186]
[187]
2013 Kinky Boots — Broadway musical (writer)
[186]
[188]
2017 SpongeBob SquarePants Broadway musical (writer, "Hero is My Middle Name")
[186]

[189]

Television

[edit]
Table featuring programs of television with Cyndi Lauper
Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
1989 The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Herself Episode: "Robo Koopa/Captain Lou is Missing"
[190]
1990 Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme Mary ("Mary Had a Little Lamb") Television film
[191]
The Wall – Live in Berlin Young Pink
1993—1999 Mad About You Marianne Lugasso 4 episodes
[72]
1999 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Pidge Voice role; Episode: "The Happy Prince"
[192]
The Simpsons Herself Voice role; Episode: "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken"
[193]
2004 Higglytown Heroes Operator Hero Voice role; Episode: "Smooth Operator"
[194]
2005 That's So Raven Ms. Petuto Episode: "Art Breaker"
[195]
Queer as Folk Herself Episode: "I Love You"
[196]
2006 Top of the Pops Co-presenter Episode: "13/03/2006"
[197]
The Backyardigans Herself Voice role; Episode:"International Super Spy"
[198]
2008 Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List Episode: "Fly the Super Gay Skies"
[199]
Gossip Girl Episode: "Bonfire of the Vanity"
[200]
2009 30 Rock Episode: "Kidney Now!"
[201]
The Apprentice: The Celebrity Apprentice 3 Herself / Contestant Episode: "#9.4"
[202]
2009–2015 2017 Bones Avalon Harmonia 5 episodes
[203]
2012 Bob's Burgers Performer Voice role; Episode: "The Belchies"
[204]
Happily Divorced Kiki Kappelmaster Episode: "Follow the Leader"
[205]
2013 Cyndi Lauper: Still So Unusual Herself 12 episodes; Executive producer
[206]
2014 Front and Center Episode: "Cyndi Lauper"
[207]
2018 Magnum P.I. Vanessa Nero Episode: "Sudden Death"
[208]
2020 Young Sheldon Herself Voice role; Episode: "A Baby Tooth and the Egyptian God of Knowledge"
[209]
Bubble Guppies Miss Goo Goo Voice role; Episode: "Super Baby!"
[210]
2020—2021 Project Runway Herself (Guest Judge) Episodes: "She's Sew Unusual" (Season 18) and "Couch Couture" (Season 19)
2023 The Horror of Dolores Roach Ruthie Episodes: "I Never Don't Find 'Em" (Season 1) and "Blink Twice" (Season 1)

Film

[edit]
Table featuring feature films with Cyndi Lauper
Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
1984 Prime Cuts Herself Cameo appearance
[211]
1985 The Goonies
[212]
1988 Vibes Sylvia Pickel Comedy film
1991 Off and Running Cyd Morse
[213]
1993 Life with Mikey Geena Briganti
[214]
1994 Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Picnic Guest Uncredited
[215]
1996 Sesame Street Elmocize Twyla Direct-to-video
[216]
2000 The Opportunists Sally Mahon Drama film
[217]
2005 The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie Herself Cameo appearance
[218]
2009 Here and There Rose Serbian-German film
[219]
2011 National Lampoon's Dirty Movie Little Johnny's Mom Comedy film
[220]
2014 Henry & Me Nurse Cyndi Voice role
[221]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Cyndi Lauper

Grammy Awards

[edit]

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Lauper has won two awards from 16 nominations.[222]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1985 Cyndi Lauper Best New Artist Won
She's So Unusual Album of the Year Nominated
"Time After Time" Song of the Year Nominated
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Record of the Year Nominated
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Nominated
1986 "What a Thrill" Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Nominated
1987 "True Colors" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Nominated
"911" Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Nominated
1988 "Cyndi Lauper in Paris" Best Performance Music Video Nominated
1990 "I Drove All Night" Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Nominated
1999 "Disco Inferno" Best Dance Recording Nominated
2005 "Unchained Melody" Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) Nominated
2009 Bring Ya to the Brink Best Electronic/Dance Album Nominated
2011 Memphis Blues Best Traditional Blues Album Nominated
2014 Kinky Boots Best Musical Theater Album Won
2017 Kinky Boots (Original West End Cast) Best Musical Theater Album Nominated

Note: She's So Unusual also won Best Album Package in 1985. Best Album Package is credited to the art director and not the performer. The art director was Janet Perr.[223]

Note: "We Are the World" (which featured Cyndi Lauper as a vocalist) also won Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Music Video, Short Form, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1986. Song of the Year is credited to the songwriters and not the performer. The song was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.[224] Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group were presented to the producer in 1986, the song was produced by Quincy Jones.[225][226] Best Music Video, Short Form is presented to the director and producer, Tom Trbovich directed the video while Quincy Jones served as producer.[227]

Note: Lauper received a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s), as she was one of the three arrangers along with Steve Gaboury and Don Sebesky.

Tony Awards

[edit]

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known informally as the Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. Lauper is the first woman to win a Tony solo for Best Score.[228]

Year Production Category Result
2013 Kinky Boots Best Original Score Won
2018 SpongeBob SquarePants Nominated

Emmy Awards

[edit]

An Emmy Award recognizes excellence in the television industry.

Year Production Category Result
1994 Mad About You: "A Pair of Hearts" Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated[72]
1995 Mad About You: "Money Changes Everything" Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Won[72]

MTV Video Music Award

[edit]

The MTV Video Music Awards were established in 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year. Lauper won one award from 14 nominations, the first Best Female Video.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1984 "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Video of the Year Nominated[229]
Best New Artist Nominated[229]
Best Female Video Won[229]
Best Concept Video Nominated[229]
Viewer's Choice Nominated[229]
Best Overall Performance Nominated[229]
"Time After Time" Best New Artist Nominated[229]
Best Female Video Nominated[229]
Best Direction Nominated[229]
1987 "True Colors" Best Female Video Nominated[230]
"What's Going On" Best Cinematography Nominated[230]

Other recognition

[edit]
Year By List Work Ranked
1993 Rolling Stone The 100 Top Music Videos[6] "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" No. 22
1999 VH1 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll[17] Cyndi Lauper No. 58
MTV 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made[8] "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" No. 39
Rolling Stone 100 Best Albums of the '80s She's So Unusual No. 75
2000 Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Pop Songs[231] "Time After Time" No. 66
MTV
2001 VH1 100 Greatest Videos[9] "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" No. 45
2002 Rolling Stone 50 Essential "Women in Rock" Albums[232] She's So Unusual No. 41
2003 VH1 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 Years[16] "Time After Time" No. 22
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[233] She's So Unusual No. 494
2006 VH1 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's[234] "Time After Time" No. 19
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" No. 23
2017 VH1 VH1 Trailblazer Honor[235] LGBT activism
2019 Library of Congress National Recording Registry[236] She's So Unusual
2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductee[14]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Cyndi Lauper

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from Grokipedia
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper (born June 22, 1953), known professionally as Cyndi Lauper, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Lauper achieved international fame in the 1980s with her debut studio album She's So Unusual (1983), which spawned the hit singles "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Time After Time," the latter of which she co-wrote. The album's success led to her winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1984 and propelled her to sell over 50 million albums worldwide across her career. In addition to music, Lauper has earned acclaim in theater, composing the score for the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, which won her a Tony Award for Best Original Score in 2013, and an Emmy Award for her performance in the 1995 Christmas special Cyndi Lauper's 12 Days of Christmas. She has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights since the 1980s, founding the True Colors Fund in 2008 to support homeless LGBTQ youth.

Early Life

Childhood and Family in Queens

Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper was born on June 22, 1953, at Boulevard Hospital in , , to parents Catrine (née Gallo), an Italian-American waitress whose family originated from , and Fred Lauper, a shipping clerk of Swiss-German descent. The family observed Roman Catholic practices during her early years, reflecting the strict religious environment common in mid-20th-century households of similar ethnic backgrounds. Shortly after her birth, the Laupers relocated to the working-class neighborhood of Ozone Park in , where socioeconomic pressures shaped daily life amid post-World War II urban immigrant communities. Lauper's parents divorced when she was five years old in 1958, after which her father maintained limited involvement, prompting Catrine to raise her daughter as a single mother while juggling multiple low-wage jobs, primarily as a waitress, to sustain the household. Catrine remarried soon thereafter, but the union introduced further instability, as the stepfather inflicted verbal and physical abuse on Lauper, exacerbating the emotional toll of the divorce and contributing to a home environment characterized by fear and familial discord. These hardships, set against Queens' modest Italian-American enclaves, underscored the causal links between economic precarity and domestic volatility in shaping Lauper's formative experiences. In this context, Catrine's personal interests provided sporadic sparks of creativity for Lauper; the mother's collection of Broadway cast albums introduced her to musical theater narratives, serving as an escapist influence amid routine instability. Family dynamics, however, frequently disrupted consistent schooling and broader opportunities, with the abusive household limiting formal and reinforcing a pattern of early adversity rooted in parental separation and remarriage failures.

Teenage Struggles and Expulsions

Lauper experienced significant educational disruptions during her adolescence, stemming from her rebellious nature and resistance to institutional authority. After attending Catholic schools where she was expelled twice—once in third grade and again in fourth grade—for challenging nuns and exhibiting disruptive behavior, including "talking back" and political differences with school officials, she transitioned to public high school. In her teenage years, Lauper briefly enrolled at Richmond Hill High School in , but her nonconformist attitudes and acting out, marked by unconventional hairstyles and clothing, led her to leave without completing her studies. Instead of pursuing formal higher education, she opted for self-directed artistic development, reflecting a deliberate rejection of structured academia in favor of personal expression amid ongoing family tensions. At age 17, Lauper ran away from home multiple times to escape an abusive stepfather, embarking on a period of instability that included brief and survival on the streets. Her travels took her to for two weeks before returning to , where she navigated poverty through odd jobs, such as drawing portraits, while immersing herself in scenes that introduced her to influences. During this time, she resided temporarily in youth shelters, including one in , highlighting the harsh realities of adolescent independence without familial support. These experiences fostered her , as she taught herself to sing and play guitar in resource-scarce environments, prioritizing raw artistic pursuit over conventional stability. Ultimately, she obtained a high school equivalency to formalize her education on her own terms.

Music Career

Blue Angel Formation (1980–1982)

Blue Angel, Lauper's early band, originated in 1978 when she collaborated with multi-instrumentalist John Turi, whom she met through manager Ted Rosenblatt; the group included Arthur "Rockin A" Neilson on guitar, Lee Brovitz on bass, and Johnny Morelli on drums. By 1980, under new manager Steve Massarsky—who secured a with —the band released its self-titled debut album, which blended new wave, , and retro rock elements but achieved only limited commercial success, failing to chart significantly. The album's lead single, a cover of Gene Pitney's "I'm Gonna Be Strong," showcased Lauper's distinctive vocal range and emotional delivery, though promotional efforts were hampered by label mismanagement and internal creative disagreements. Band members continued performing in the New York area through 1980 and into 1981, even recording material for a potential sophomore album, but escalating tensions over artistic direction and finances derailed progress. These disputes culminated in the band's decision to dismiss Massarsky, prompting him to sue Lauper and her bandmates for $80,000 in unpaid commissions, which forced Lauper to file for in 1981 amid mounting debts from the legal battle and poor album sales. The fallout effectively dissolved Blue Angel by 1982, freeing Lauper from the contractual obligations that had constrained her solo ambitions, while the group's raw performances and her frontwoman role refined the eccentric stage persona that later defined her career.

Breakthrough with She's So Unusual (1983–1985)

She's So Unusual, Cyndi Lauper's debut solo album, was released on October 14, 1983, through Portrait Records, a subsidiary of Epic Records. Produced by Rick Chertoff in collaboration with Lauper, the album blended original songs with covers, showcasing her distinctive vocal style and eclectic arrangements that fused pop, new wave, and punk influences. Key tracks included the lead single "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," a reimagined cover of Robert Hazard's 1979 song, which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1984, and the ballad "Time After Time," co-written by Lauper and Rob Hyman, which reached number 1 on the same chart for two weeks starting June 9, 1984. The album's visual aesthetic, characterized by vibrant colors, mismatched clothing, and exaggerated hairstyles, was developed by Patrick Lucas, who accompanied Lauper on and in video productions to maintain her hybrid punk-pop persona. This image resonated with youth audiences and was amplified by heavy rotation on , where the "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" video, directed by Edd Griles, featured Lauper's mother and diverse party scenes, contributing to its cultural breakthrough. The album produced four top-five singles overall, a first for a female artist's debut, including "She Bop" at number 3 and "All Through the Night" at number 5, establishing Lauper as a prominent voice in the 1980s landscape. Commercially, peaked at number 4 on the and remained in the top 40 for 65 weeks, selling over 6 million copies in the United States and exceeding 16 million worldwide. At the 27th in 1985, Lauper won Best New Artist and received nominations for Album of the Year, for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Time After Time," underscoring the album's critical and commercial impact during 1983–1985.

True Colors and Mid-1980s Albums (1986–1988)

Lauper's second studio album, True Colors, was released on September 15, 1986, by . The record marked a sonic evolution from the eclectic pop of her debut, incorporating more ballad-oriented tracks and themes of and , with production by Lauper, Lennie Petze, and . It debuted at number 63 on the with its lead single but climbed to number one, while the album itself peaked at number four on the and achieved sales of approximately seven million copies worldwide. The title track "True Colors" resonated widely for its message of inner authenticity amid external pressures, evolving into an enduring anthem within the LGBTQ community due to its emphasis on visibility and support for those feeling isolated. Lauper has noted the song's origins in songwriter Billy Steinberg's reflections on his mother's hidden vibrancy, which aligned with broader appeals for genuine expression. The follow-up single "Change of Heart," released on November 11, 1986, blended influences with , reaching high rotation on radio and . Other singles like "" extended the album's reach into cover material addressing . Amid album promotion, Lauper sustained her momentum through touring, including arena performances that maintained fan engagement despite the sophomore release not matching She's So Unusual's explosive commercial peak. In parallel, she ventured into film with the 1985 soundtrack contribution "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" for the adventure movie , a high-energy track featuring wrestling motifs that underscored her playful persona. By 1988, Lauper appeared in the supernatural comedy Vibes, co-starring with and , representing a brief detour into acting that highlighted her versatility beyond music but drew mixed critical response. Overall, the period reflected a maturing artistic trajectory, with True Colors prioritizing emotional depth over novelty, though sales declined relative to her 1983 breakthrough.

Late 1980s to Mid-1990s Albums (1989–1995)

Lauper's third studio album, A Night to Remember, was released on May 9, 1989, marking a shift toward dance-oriented pop with contributions from producers like and Niels Lan Doky. The lead single, "I Drove All Night"—written by and Tom Kelly and originally intended for Roy Orbison—debuted on April 24, 1989, and peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 7 on the UK Singles Chart, providing a commercial highlight amid broader industry transitions. Follow-up singles, including "My First Night Without You" (July 24, 1989) and the title track (October 16, 1989), achieved limited radio airplay and chart success, reflecting challenges in sustaining momentum as Lauper moved from to . On November 24, 1991, Lauper married actor David Thornton, whom she met during the filming of Off and Running; this personal milestone preceded a phase of introspective songwriting evident in her mid-1990s output. Her fourth studio album, , arrived on June 30, 1993, via , incorporating elements alongside experimental influences like rhythms and adult contemporary ballads in tracks such as "Who Let in the Rain" and "That's What I Think." The production emphasized a more mature, less eccentric sound, earning praise for its personable depth despite modest commercial reception and subdued radio promotion. In 1994, Epic issued the greatest-hits compilation Twelve Deadly Cyns... and Then Some in the UK on August 22 (with a US release on July 18, 1995), featuring 12 prior singles plus new material, including a reggae-reworked version of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" that underscored Lauper's interest in genre fusion over formulaic hits. The collection, peaking outside major top 40s in key markets, highlighted her artistic pivot toward personal evolution and creative risks amid declining mainstream radio support, prioritizing stylistic experimentation like electronic and infusions.

Late 1990s and Motherhood Influences (1996–2000)

Lauper welcomed her son, Declyn Wallace Thornton Lauper, on November 19, 1997, with husband David Thornton. This milestone shifted her focus toward family, contributing to a period of selective musical engagement and thematic evolution in her work. Her fifth studio album, , arrived in on October 15, 1996, and internationally on April 1, 1997. The record marked a stylistic departure, blending electronic production with traditional like and recorder, while exploring mature themes of social complacency, minority discrimination, and personal introspection. Lauper's vocals demonstrated enhanced versatility and strength, layered with processing effects to convey emotional depth across tracks like the moody "Searching." In 1998, Lauper released Merry Christmas ... Have a Nice Life, her inaugural holiday album featuring original compositions alongside seasonal covers, produced in collaboration with Jan Pulsford. This project reflected a lighter, family-oriented approach amid her new parental responsibilities, prioritizing home life over extensive promotion or tours. Motherhood infused Lauper's output with greater lyrical substance and vocal refinement, evident in the introspective narratives of , while her output remained measured to accommodate domestic priorities through 2000.

2000s Releases and Collaborations (2001–2009)

In 2001, Lauper recorded her eighth studio album, Shine, aiming to revisit her early punk-rock influences with contributions from Japanese pop artists, but the planned release was disrupted when Edel America Records folded weeks before the September launch. An version featuring seven tracks was issued exclusively in on June 21, 2001, via independent channels to mitigate , while the full 13-track album saw delayed release there in 2004. The project received limited international distribution and no significant presence, reflecting challenges in securing major support amid shifting industry dynamics. Lauper's ninth studio effort, , arrived on November 18, 2003, as a collection of covers reinterpreting classic standards in , lounge, and swing styles, including tracks like "" and "Stay," which were issued as singles in November 2003 and March 2004, respectively. The album achieved modest commercial footing, entering the top 40 on charts in the United States and , appealing to audiences seeking her interpretive take on pre-rock era material. The Body Acoustic, released November 8, 2005, on , featured stripped-down, unplugged renditions of ten prior hits, augmented by guest vocalists such as Shaggy on "All Through the Night," on "Time After Time," and of on "." This acoustic reconfiguration highlighted Lauper's vocal maturity and collaborative spirit, though it garnered niche rather than blockbuster reception, underscoring a pivot toward introspective reworkings over new material. Shifting to dance-electronica, Lauper's tenth album Bring Ya to the Brink dropped May 27, 2008 (May 14 in ), comprising original tracks produced with electronic acts including on "" and Kleerup on "Lay Me Down." The "Same Ol' Story" topped the U.S. Hot chart in June 2008, earning a Grammy nomination for Best /Electronica Album the following year, yet overall sales remained subdued compared to her peaks, finding resonance primarily in club and remix circuits.

2010s Projects and Broadway Crossover (2010–2019)

In 2010, Lauper appeared as a contestant on the ninth season of , which premiered on March 14 and featured her competing for charity alongside celebrities including and ; she was eliminated in the fifth episode after conflicts with team members and host . That June 22, she released , her tenth studio album consisting of covers of classic blues standards such as "Just Your Fool" and "Down So Low," featuring collaborations with artists including , , and ; the record debuted at number one on Billboard's Blues Albums chart and became the best-selling blues album of the year. To promote it, Lauper embarked on the Memphis Blues Tour from June 2010 to November 2011, performing over 100 concerts worldwide that blended blues tracks with her pop hits like "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "True Colors." Lauper published her autobiography, , on September 18, 2012, co-authored with and detailing her rise from Queens upbringing to stardom, including struggles with the music industry and personal reinventions. The book received attention for its candid recounting of events like her Blue Angel band days and 1980s breakthrough, though critics noted its episodic style over deep analysis. In 2012, Lauper composed the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots, a musical adaptation of the 2005 British film about a shoe factory owner partnering with a to save his business; it premiered that fall before transferring to Broadway on April 3, 2013. At the on June 9, 2013, Lauper won Best Original Score for her contributions, marking her first Tony and highlighting her shift into theater songwriting with upbeat pop-infused numbers like "Raise You Up/Standing Tall." The production earned six Tonys overall, including Best Musical, and ran for 1,124 performances until 2017. Lauper sustained her touring presence through the decade, mixing nostalgic staples with newer and cover material; the 2016 Detour Tour, supporting her album of and country covers, launched May 9 at Nashville's and spanned 27 cities in the U.S. and , featuring sets with tracks like "Fever" alongside enduring hits. These outings occasionally incorporated adjustments for vocal strain, prioritizing shorter sets or seated performances to maintain quality amid her evolving catalog.

2020s Developments and Farewell Phase (2020–present)

In June 2024, Paramount+ released the documentary Cyndi Lauper: Let the Canary Sing, directed by Alison Ellwood, which chronicles Lauper's career trajectory, stylistic evolution, and advocacy efforts through interviews with the artist and contemporaries like and . The film premiered exclusively on the streaming service in the United States and , emphasizing her influence on punk aesthetics and alongside her musical achievements. Lauper launched her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour on October 18, 2024, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, marking her first major concert run in over a decade and spanning North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom with 68 dates concluding on August 30, 2025, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The tour featured opening acts such as Trixie Mattel and Vera Blue in select markets, with setlists drawing heavily from her 1980s hits while incorporating personal anecdotes on resilience and artistry. Guest appearances at the Hollywood Bowl finale included Joni Mitchell, Cher, and SZA, underscoring Lauper's cross-generational appeal. On April 28, 2025, Lauper was announced as an inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's class of 2025 in the Performers category, recognizing her four-octave vocal range and songwriting contributions; the induction ceremony occurred on November 8, 2025, at the in . Complementing this, CBS broadcast A GRAMMY Salute to Cyndi Lauper: Live from the Hollywood Bowl on October 5, 2025, capturing performances from her tour's closing nights with tributes from artists including , filmed to celebrate her Grammy-winning catalog amid the farewell context. These honors align with Lauper's reported global sales exceeding 50 million records, framing the decade's activities as a capstone to her recording legacy. Following the tour's end, Lauper announced her first Las Vegas residency, Cyndi Lauper: Live in Las Vegas, scheduled for eight shows from April 24 to May 2, 2026, at , signaling a shift toward localized performances preserving her stage presence without extensive global travel. This phase reflects a deliberate pivot to selective engagements, prioritizing legacy documentation and fan connection over prolific new releases.

Acting and Theater Career

Broadway Debut and Kinky Boots

Lauper composed the music and lyrics for the musical Kinky Boots, marking her debut as a Broadway songwriter in collaboration with book writer , based on the 2005 British film of the same name. The production premiered out-of-town at the Bank of America Theatre in on October 2, 2012, running through November 4. It transferred to Broadway, beginning previews at the on March 3, 2013, and officially opening on April 4, 2013. The score featured upbeat pop-inflected numbers that propelled the narrative of a struggling Northampton shoe factory heir partnering with a drag performer to produce durable high-heeled boots for niche markets. Kinky Boots won six Tony Awards in 2013, including Best Musical and the award for Best Original Score Written for the Theatre Musical for Lauper, recognizing her adaptation of pop sensibilities to theatrical structure. The Broadway run amassed 2,507 performances before closing on April 7, 2019. This success validated Lauper's songwriting versatility beyond her 1980s hits, demonstrating her capacity to craft character-driven songs for ensemble staging. Following the Broadway engagement, Kinky Boots launched a U.S. national tour in 2014 and received international productions, including a West End premiere in 2016 that earned four Olivier Awards. Lauper's involvement remained centered on composition rather than performance or acting roles in the show, distinguishing her Broadway entry from traditional performer crossovers. The musical's global licensing through Music Theatre International has sustained revivals and regional stagings, extending the reach of her score.

Film and Television Appearances

Lauper's screen acting roles have been sporadic, often leveraging her eccentric public persona through cameos, voice work, and guest spots rather than leading parts. Her most prominent film appearance was in the 1988 adventure comedy Vibes, where she starred as Sylvia Pickel, a recruited alongside another clairvoyant to locate a hidden Incan temple in . The film, directed by and co-starring and , emphasized her character's quirky intuition and romantic entanglements, aligning with Lauper's colorful image from her music career. Subsequent film roles were limited and typically brief. In 1993, she appeared in a supporting capacity in the family comedy , directed by , playing a minor role that highlighted her distinctive style amid the story of a former child star turned talent agent. She also featured in the 2000 independent drama The Opportunists, portraying a character in a tale of con artists and family ties, further showcasing her ability to infuse roles with offbeat energy. Voice work included Nurse Cyndi in the 2014 animated feature , a New York Yankees-themed story about a boy with cancer meeting baseball legends. On television, Lauper recurred as Marianne Lugasso, the flamboyant, on-again-off-again partner of Ira Buchman, across multiple episodes of the sitcom from 1993 to 1995, including "A Pair of Hearts" and "." These appearances depicted her as a free-spirited foil in the marital dynamics of protagonists Paul and Jamie Buchman, drawing on her real-life vibrancy. She guest-starred as herself on in the 1999 episode "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken," performing a rendition of "" at a Springfield Isotopes game, which devolves into chaos. In reality competition programming, Lauper participated as a contestant on the ninth season of NBC's in 2010, competing in team-based business challenges to raise funds for the True Colors Fund, her nonprofit supporting LGBTQ youth. Her involvement, marked by clashes and creative pitches, underscored her unfiltered personality but ended in early elimination after six tasks. These roles, though not central to her career, consistently amplified her reputation for bold, idiosyncratic contributions to screen media.

Personal Life

Marriage and Family

Lauper met actor David Thornton on the set of the 1991 film Off and Running, where they initially bonded as friends before developing a romantic relationship. The couple married on November 24, 1991, in a private ceremony at a in New York, reflecting their preference for simplicity over extravagance. As of 2025, their endures, spanning over 33 years, with Lauper attributing its longevity to mutual enjoyment and acceptance of life's ups and downs. Lauper and Thornton welcomed their only child, son Declyn Wallace Thornton Lauper (also known as Dex), on November 19, 1997, in New York. Declyn has pursued interests in music and acting while largely staying out of the public eye. Lauper has emphasized creating a stable family environment for Declyn, distinct from her own childhood experiences of parental , financial hardship, and an abusive . The family prioritizes privacy, shielding personal details from media scrutiny despite Lauper's public persona.

Health Challenges and Resilience

Lauper endured significant , including physical and by her stepfather, which contributed to periods of deep depression and a near-suicide attempt in her youth, as recounted in her 2012 . These experiences left lasting emotional scars, shaping her sensitivity to injustice, though she credits her Sicilian heritage with fostering resilience to persevere through adversity. Intensive touring in the severely strained her , leading to an inverted and benign nodules that required surgical removal; complications from one procedure caused a collapsed , with physicians initially concluding she would never sing professionally again. Recovery involved weeks of rehabilitation and additional interventions to restore function, enabling her eventual breakthrough in the 1980s. Decades later, in the , she underwent to remove vocal polyps amid ongoing vocal maintenance. In 2010, Lauper was diagnosed with plaque , an autoimmune condition that triggered severe flares covering much of her body, compounded by kidney stones that necessitated dietary adjustments from . By her early 70s, in her hands and feet emerged as an age-related issue affecting mobility. She manages these through evidence-based lifestyle modifications, including daily , , walking, meditation, and an anti-inflammatory diet emphasizing fruits and vegetables to reduce flare-ups. These routines, sustained over years including 32 years of , have supported her physical recovery and maintenance without reliance on unproven remedies.

Activism

LGBTQ Advocacy and True Colors Fund

In 2008, Cyndi Lauper co-founded the True Colors Fund (now True Colors United) with Lisa Barbaris, Jonny Podell, and Gregory Lewis to address homelessness among LGBTQ youth, drawing inspiration from her 1986 song "True Colors," which emphasizes empathy and . The organization's mission focuses on implementing solutions tailored to the disproportionate representation of LGBTQ youth in the homeless population, estimated at up to 40 percent of the 4.2 million youth experiencing homelessness annually in the United States. By providing training, resources, and guidance to service providers, the fund aims to improve outcomes such as stable housing placements for these youth. Lauper has supported the initiative through performances and public endorsements, including a December 13, 2022, rendition of "True Colors" at the to commemorate the signing of the , highlighting federal recognition of same-sex unions. She has also participated in pride events, such as being named Lifetime Ally Icon for the 2024 WeHo , where her contributions to music and were recognized for promoting inclusivity. The fund has achieved measurable impacts, including raising over $3 million by 2020 to support housing and services, and collaborating on the opening of at least two dedicated shelters for LGBTQ youth, facilitating direct interventions like shelter access and support programs.

Broader Philanthropy

In 2022, Lauper established the Girls Just Want to Have Fund as a at the , aimed at advancing the and of women and girls through grants to organizations addressing issues such as reproductive access, sexual assault recovery, prevention, and support. The fund has disbursed grants totaling over $152,500 to various groups by April 2025, including contributions to Joyful Heart Foundation for survivor healing programs. Proceeds from her , launched in 2024, have generated more than $2 million in donations to global women's charities focused on and rights initiatives. Lauper has supported anti-poverty efforts through affiliations with , contributing to housing projects for low-income families, and World Vision, which provides child sponsorship and community development aid in impoverished regions. In 1985, she participated in the recording of "We Are the World," a collaborative single by USA for Africa that raised over $125 million for famine relief in and broader African . Her involvement in disaster relief includes a 2005 performance at a for International's Tsunami Relief and Global Emergency Fund, supporting recovery from the that affected millions across . Following in 2012, Lauper dedicated a performance at a New York to her uncle, a storm victim, while aiding elderly victims through related relief efforts. These activities often integrated with her music career, leveraging concerts and recordings for targeted without overlap into specialized identity-based .

Critiques of Advocacy Focus

Lauper's song "," released on October 14, 1983, as the second single from her debut album , provoked criticism from parental advocacy groups for its explicit references to female masturbation, with lyrics inspired partly by the gay porn magazine Blueboy and a line from ' "." The track's playful promotion of sexual self-exploration was seen by detractors as contributing to the normalization of behaviors they argued could negatively influence adolescent development without demonstrated long-term benefits, aligning with broader conservative concerns over media's role in shaping . In 1985, it was included on the Parents Music Resource Center's (PMRC) "Filthy Fifteen" list, which categorized songs by themes like sex (marked "X") to urge warning labels, reflecting parental and conservative unease with content perceived as eroding traditional moral standards. Critiques of the True Colors Fund's scope have centered on its prioritization of identity-specific interventions for LGBTQ youth homelessness over comprehensive strategies addressing universal drivers such as family instability and affecting all demographics. The acknowledges this tension in its own materials, defending targeted efforts by citing estimates that LGBTQ youth comprise about 40% of the homeless youth despite representing roughly 7% of youth overall, a disparity attributed largely to familial rejection. However, conservative perspectives have faulted such identity-based for potentially fragmenting resources and diverting focus from evidence-based, non-discriminatory programs, arguing that causal links between rejection due to and homelessness are overstated relative to socioeconomic factors, with limited independent longitudinal studies verifying the fund's net impact on overall rates. Assessments of the fund's efficacy often rely on qualitative reports of shelter expansions and policy advocacy successes, such as influencing federal guidelines, rather than rigorous metrics like sustained outcomes or cost-benefit analyses compared to generalist interventions.

Legacy

Commercial Success and Sales Metrics

Cyndi Lauper has sold over 50 million records worldwide, encompassing albums and singles, as reported by industry trackers aggregating certified and estimated figures. In the United States, her domestic sales total approximately 8.5 million units. These metrics reflect peak 1980s performance driven by her debut, with subsequent catalog value sustained through digital platforms. Her breakthrough album (1983) sold over 16 million copies globally and was certified six times by the RIAA on February 28, 1997, denoting shipments exceeding six million copies in the U.S. This certification underscores the album's dominance, as it became the first debut by a female artist to yield four singles in the top five: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (No. 2), "Time After Time" (No. 1), "" (No. 3), and "All Through the Night" (No. 5). "Time After Time" marked her sole Hot 100 No. 1, holding the top spot for two weeks in June 1984. Later releases contributed modestly to totals; True Colors () achieved double platinum status in the U.S. for two million units shipped, while subsequent albums like A Night to Remember (1989) reached gold . Verifiable RIAA data positions Lauper's U.S. album certifications below peers like , whose cumulative certified units exceed 65 million, emphasizing differences in longevity and output volume over debut-era equivalence. As of 2025, Lauper's enduring hits generate an estimated $2–3 million annually from streaming, digital sales, and licensing, bolstering revenue from original physical sales amid shifts to on-demand audio and video platforms. This ongoing monetization, tracked via industry reports, highlights causal persistence of early commercial breakthroughs in a streaming-dominated market.

Musical and Cultural Influence

Cyndi Lauper's visual style in the , characterized by vibrant colors, layered clothing, and unconventional hairstyles, established a template for eccentric expression in female pop artistry. This aesthetic challenged prevailing norms of polished , emphasizing individuality over conformity. Her approach influenced subsequent performers, with artists such as drawing from Lauper's emphasis on bold, theatrical visuals to convey personal uniqueness. The song "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," released in , functioned as a cultural promoting personal autonomy and lighthearted against societal expectations. Lauper reinterpreted the original track's perspective to center female agency in leisure and , resonating as a call for unapologetic . This thematic focus extended her impact, encouraging listeners to prioritize personal joy amid external pressures. Lauper's prominence during the MTV era contributed to greater on-screen representation for videos, as her "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" clip—one of the channel's early breakthroughs for female artists—garnered widespread rotation and helped diversify visual programming. This exposure normalized quirky, non-traditional female personas on a platform initially dominated by male rock acts. Her composition for the 2013 Broadway musical Kinky Boots marked a significant crossover, integrating pop sensibilities into theatrical scoring and earning a Tony Award for Best Original Score. This achievement demonstrated how pop structures could sustain narrative-driven works, broadening the genre's application beyond formats.

Critical Assessments and Debates

Lauper's vocal prowess, encompassing a four-octave range and perfect pitch, has drawn consistent acclaim from reviewers for enabling distinctive interpretations of covers and originals alike. Her eclecticism across pop, new wave, and elements positioned her as an original voice in pop, with critics noting her uncompromised delivery on tracks like her rendition of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," which transformed a male-centric original into a bold statement of female agency. However, detractors have faulted her persona as overly gimmicky, relying on eccentric visuals and erratic vocal stylings that prioritized novelty over depth, contributing to perceptions of her as a one-album wonder post-. Post-1980s output faced scrutiny for inconsistency, with later albums criticized as sedate or against evolving pop trends, failing to sustain the debut's spark amid a landscape dominated by more adaptable figures. Comparisons to contemporaries like highlight debates over innovation: while Lauper's musical talent and authentic self-expression earned praise as superior in raw artistry, Madonna's strategic reinvention and genre-blending edge secured broader longevity, leaving Lauper's contributions seen by some as less boundary-pushing. Her 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, after decades of eligibility, sparked discourse on underrating versus overrating: proponents cited her as the overlooked '80s icon embodying rock's rebellious spirit for misfits, justifying inclusion despite pop leanings, while skeptics questioned if sales-driven nostalgia inflated her legacy over substantive rock influence. Conservative-leaning critiques have further debated her cultural messaging, arguing that songs emphasizing unfettered individualism and sexual liberation, such as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," downplayed family-oriented values in favor of hedonistic themes, contrasting with era peers who integrated relational stability into their narratives.

Live Performances

Major Tours

The Fun Tour, Lauper's first major headlining series, supported her debut album and ran from November 1983 to December 1984, encompassing dates across and select European stops. Setlists emphasized high-energy new wave and pop performances of tracks like "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "," "Time After Time," and "," reflecting the album's synth-influenced sound and her punk-inflected stage presence. The True Colors World Tour followed in 1986–1987 to promote her second album True Colors, featuring approximately 66 shows primarily in North America and Europe from September 1986 to March 1987. Performances incorporated newer material such as the title track "True Colors" and "Change of Heart" alongside staples from her debut, maintaining a vibrant pop-rock format with encores often closing on anthemic hits. In the , Lauper's Memphis Blues Tour (June 2010–November 2011) marked a stylistic pivot toward and , supporting her album with over 140 dates across the , , , and Australia; setlists blended covers like "" and "Early in the Morning" with reinterpreted hits, shifting from the 1980s' frenetic pop energy to a more roots-oriented, collaborative vibe featuring guest vocalists. Wait, no wiki, but [web:48] is wiki, skip. Alternative: The Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour, announced as her final headlining outing, began in 2024 with North American dates extending into and the , followed by a final North American leg through 2025; individual shows have reported grosses such as $1.2 million at Chicago's on December 5, 2024, contributing to her post-1999 touring total of $42.5 million from 598,429 tickets sold across 230 headline dates. Setlists for this tour revisit career-spanning material, including "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "True Colors," "," and later additions like "," underscoring a reflective evolution from era-specific promotions to a format.

Residencies and Special Shows

In April and May 2026, Lauper will perform her first residency, titled Cyndi Lauper: Live in Las Vegas, at . The five-show run is scheduled for April 24–25 and 29, and May 1–2, transforming the venue into "Cyn City" with production elements emphasizing her career-spanning hits. Tickets went on sale October 10, 2025, following presales starting October 7. A Grammy Salute to Lauper was held as a special at the on August 30, 2025, coinciding with the finale of her farewell tour. The event featured guest performances by artists including , , , and , alongside Lauper's setlist of iconic songs, highlighting collaborative production innovations. Filmed for broadcast, it aired on October 5, 2025, from 8–10 p.m. ET, celebrating her Grammy-winning catalog and cultural impact.

Discography

Studio Albums

Cyndi Lauper's debut studio album, , released on October 14, 1983, peaked at number 4 on the 200. Produced by , it combined new wave, , and styles, with tracks crafted to empower women and convey messages of upliftment. Her follow-up, True Colors, issued on September 15, 1986, also attained number 4 on the 200. Co-produced by Lauper and Lennie Petze, the album shifted toward a more introspective and sound, reflecting a somber creative direction amid pressures of follow-up success. A Night to Remember, released May 9, 1989, reached number 37 on the 200. Lauper handled production and co-wrote nine of twelve tracks, emphasizing self-directed pop experimentation. arrived on June 22, 1993, debuting at number 112. The record fused '60s , '70s , '80s pop, '90s hip-hop, folk, and ethnic elements in a bid for stylistic maturity. (1997) charted at number 188. Later releases included Bring Ya to the Brink (2008), her first with predominantly original material since 2001, peaking at number 41, and (May 6, 2016), a country covers collection that hit number 29.

Compilations and Other Releases

Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some, a greatest hits compilation, was released on August 22, 1994, by in the , featuring twelve remastered hits from Lauper's early albums such as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Time After Time," along with two new recordings: a cover of "" and "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun." The album peaked at number 2 on the and number 81 on the 200. The Essential Cyndi Lauper, issued on June 10, 2003, by as part of their Essential series, compiles 14 tracks including "Money Changes Everything," "She Bop," and "Change of Heart," drawing from her discography up to that point to provide a career for listeners. Lauper's holiday album, Merry Christmas... Have a Nice Life, appeared on November 3, 1998, via , blending covers of standards like "" and "Christmas Conga" with originals such as "Home on Christmas Day" and "Early Christmas Morning," offering seasonal material distinct from her pop output. In the remix category, She's So Unusual: Remixed, an EP released on October 7, 2014, by Epic Records, reworks tracks from her 1983 debut with progressive house, house, and electro productions, catering to dance-oriented audiences and providing refreshed versions of classics like "Time After Time." Additional releases include the EP Shine on March 9, 2002, focusing on a single track with variations, and soundtrack contributions such as "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" for the 1985 film The Goonies, though these EPs and singles serve niche purposes like promotion or thematic tie-ins rather than broad retrospectives. These compilations and variants aggregate material for accessibility, allowing fans to access hits, seasonal content, or alternate mixes without acquiring full studio albums.

Filmography

Theater Roles

Lauper made her Broadway acting debut portraying Jenny Diver in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of The Threepenny Opera, a 1928 Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill work adapted by Wallace Shawn and directed by Scott Ellis. The production opened on April 20, 2006, at Studio 54 and closed on June 25, 2006, after 69 performances. In the role of Jenny, a prostitute entangled in the criminal exploits of the antihero Macheath (played by Alan Cumming), Lauper delivered vocal performances highlighted for their energy in numbers like "Pirate Jenny," though the overall staging drew mixed critical response for its uneven pacing and interpretive liberties. The revival featured a cast including as Mr. Peachum and as Mrs. Peachum, emphasizing a decadent, cabaret-style aesthetic amid New York's theatrical landscape. Critics noted Lauper's stage presence brought a pop-infused vibrancy to the ensemble, aligning with her established persona, but some found the non-singing scenes labored under the production's ambitious yet fragmented vision. This marked her sole principal acting credit on Broadway, distinct from her subsequent compositional work in musical theater.

Television Roles

Lauper portrayed Marianne Lugasso, the ex-wife and on-again, off-again girlfriend of supporting character Ira Mandelbaum, in a recurring capacity on the sitcom across its original run from 1992 to 1999. Her appearances spanned multiple seasons, including episodes such as "" in 1995, where Marianne returns wealthy after her second husband's death. In 2008, Lauper made a as herself on series in the season 2 episode "Bonfire of the Vanity," performing at Blair Waldorf's 18th birthday party as a surprise gift arranged by her mother's boyfriend. Lauper guest-starred as herself on NBC's 30 Rock in the season 3 finale "Kidney Now!" (aired May 14, 2009), joining an ensemble of musicians including and Michael McDonald to perform the charity song "He Needs a Kidney" for Jack Donaghy's biological father. She hosted the Grammy Awards pre-telecast ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in on January 26, 2010, introducing performances and segments leading into the main broadcast.

Film Roles

Lauper's most prominent film came in the 1988 romantic adventure comedy Vibes, directed by , where she portrayed Sylvia Pickel, a New York with abilities recruited for a treasure hunt in alongside archaeologist Nick Donner () and con artist Joe Bambach (). The film, produced by , emphasized Lauper's eccentric persona but received mixed reviews, with critics noting its uneven tone and lackluster performance, grossing under $1.5 million domestically against a reported budget exceeding $10 million, though some praised her comedic timing and chemistry with Goldblum. Subsequent roles were smaller and spanned genres from to . In the 2000 crime The Opportunists, Lauper appeared as Sally Mahon, a supporting character in a story of a locksmith () entangled in a heist scheme. She played Rose, a , in the 2009 independent Here and There, directed by , which follows a navigating life between New York and . In the 2011 low-budget National Lampoon's Dirty Movie, Lauper had a cameo as Little Johnny's Mom in a satirical take on adult film production. These appearances highlighted her versatility beyond music but did not lead to major breakthroughs, often receiving or distribution with modest critical attention. Lauper served as the central subject of the 2024 documentary Let the Canary Sing, directed by Alison Ellwood, which chronicles her career, personal struggles, and cultural impact through archival footage and interviews with figures like and . Premiering at the in 2023 before streaming on Paramount+ in June 2024, the film earned positive reception for its candid portrayal, achieving an 83% approval rating on based on limited reviews, though it focused more on biography than cinematic narrative. Overall, Lauper's film work demonstrated range across comedic and dramatic elements but remained peripheral to her music legacy, with no entries achieving significant commercial success or mainstream acclaim.

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

Cyndi Lauper has received two out of 16 nominations across her career. At the on February 26, 1985, Lauper won Best New Artist, honoring her emergence with the debut album ; she was nominated in five categories that year, including Album of the Year for and Song of the Year for "Time After Time". Her second win occurred at the on January 26, 2014, for Best Musical Theater Album (Original Broadway Cast Recording) for Kinky Boots, the musical for which she wrote the music and lyrics. This record reflects a success rate of 2 wins from 16 nominations, with early pop breakthroughs yielding her initial recognition and later theater composition securing the subsequent award.

Tony Awards

Cyndi Lauper received her first in 2013 for Kinky Boots, the Broadway musical for which she composed the music and lyrics in her debut as a theater score writer. The production earned 13 Tony nominations, the highest of the season, and secured six wins, including Best Musical and Best Original Score for Lauper's contributions. Her score, featuring pop-infused songs like "Raise You Up/Standing Tall," marked a significant crossover achievement for a recording artist transitioning to Broadway composition. Lauper's win made her the first woman to receive the Tony for Best Original Score written entirely by a solo female composer, without co-writers. The musical, adapted from the 2005 British film and directed by with a book by , highlighted themes of acceptance through the story of a factory owner partnering with a . No further Tony nominations or wins have been awarded to Lauper in subsequent years.

Emmy Awards

Lauper received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her recurring role as the eccentric neighbor Marianne Lugasso on the NBC sitcom Mad About You. Her first nomination came in 1994 for the episode "A Pair of Hearts," in which her character navigates romantic entanglements with the leads Paul and Jamie Buchman. She did not win that year, with the award going to Laurie Metcalf for Roseanne. In 1995, Lauper secured the win for the episode "Money Changes Everything," aired on May 19, 1994, where Marianne's chaotic influence disrupts the protagonists' lives amid financial strains. The victory was announced at the on September 10, 1995, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, marking her sole Emmy win to date. These accolades highlight Lauper's brief but effective pivot to , leveraging her distinctive persona from music into , though she pursued limited TV roles thereafter, prioritizing her recording and stage career.

Other Honors

Lauper was inducted into the on June 18, 2015, recognizing her songwriting for hits such as "Time After Time," "," and "Change of Heart," which contributed to over 50 million albums sold worldwide. In April 2025, Lauper was announced as an inductee in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2025 in the Performers category, alongside acts including , , and ; the induction ceremony occurred on November 8, 2025, at the in . At the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards on September 14, 1984, Lauper won Best Female Video for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," following nine nominations that year; she received additional nominations in 1985 and 1986 for videos including "Time After Time" and "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough," though no further wins in those years are recorded. Lauper received Billboard's Icon Award at the 2018 Women in Music event on December 6, honoring her enduring influence in pop music and advocacy for women's roles in the industry.

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