Cyndi Lauper

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About Cyndi Lauper

Official Site: cyndilauper.com


Cyndi Lauper was one of the biggest stars of the early MTV era, selling five million copies of her debut album, She's So Unusual, as well as scoring a string of four Top Ten hits from the record, including the major hits "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Time After Time." Lauper's thin, girlish voice and gleefully ragtag appearance became one of the most distinctive images of the early '80s, which helped lead her not only to the top of the charts, but also to stardom. Throughout America, there were numbers of teenage girls dressing like Lauper and using "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" as an anthem, a call to arms for self-expression. At first, her music was a bright, colorful new wave fusion of a number of styles, including new wave, post-punk, reggae, pop, and funk. Both her music and her appearance helped popularize -- and just as importantly, sanitize --- the image of punk and new wave for America, making it an acceptable part of the pop landscape. Lauper didn't follow through on the success of her debut, choosing to turn toward middle-of-the-road balladry and mainstream pop, but her first album remains a benchmark of the early '80s.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in the neighboring borough of Queens, Lauper (born June 22, 1953) dropped out of high school in her late teens, choosing to sing in a number of local cover bands instead. Eventually, her voice was so strained she turned to voice lessons from Katherine Agresta, a well-known vocal teacher in New York. In 1977, Lauper began writing her own material with keyboardist John Turi. The duo formed Blue Angel that same year. Over the next few years, the group built up a solid following in New York, culminating in the release of an eponymous debut album on Polydor in 1980. Blue Angel flopped and shortly afterward, Lauper filed for bankruptcy, which led to her group's disbandment.

Lauper subsequently sang in local clubs and restaurants. In 1983, her manager and boyfriend David Wolff managed to secure her a contract with Portrait. At the end of the year, she released her debut album, She's So Unusual. Helped by heavy MTV support of the album's first single/video "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," the album became a major hit in the spring of 1984, eventually climbing to number four on the U.S. charts; it would wind up going platinum five times, as well as becoming a hit in the U.K. and Europe. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" peaked at number two, while its follow-up, the ballad "Time After Time," reached number one; two other songs, "She Bop" and "All Through the Night," went Top Ten.

With the mainstream success under her belt, Lauper was an official star, yet she wasn't able to maintain her popularity. During 1985 she worked on her follow-up album; her only release of the year was "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough," the theme song from the children's adventure film The Goonies. Her second album, True Colors, appeared in the fall of 1986, and while it was successful -- the title track went to number one, while the album peaked at number four and went platinum -- its softer, adult contemporary sound lost Lauper some fans. Lauper's career continued to lose momentum, as her feature film debut in 1988's comedy Vibes bombed. A Night to Remember, her third album, was released to weak reviews in 1989, and although it spawned the Top Ten hit "I Drove All Night," it suffered from disappointing sales, peaking at number 37. The next year, she severed her relationship with Wolff and married actor David Thornton.

After taking a few years off, Lauper returned in 1993 with Hat Full of Stars, an album where she co-produced and co-wrote all of the tracks. The record stiffed, peaking at 112. The following year, the hits compilation Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some was released in the U.K.; the album reached number two, while a remixed "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" became a number one hit. Twelve Deadly Cyns was released in America the following year to less attention. Lauper released Sisters of Avalon, her first album of new material in four years, in the spring of 1997 to generally positive reviews, yet the record didn't chart. Merry Christmas...Have a Nice Life! followed in late 1998.

After a long hiatus, Lauper returned to the studio in 2003 for At Last, a collection of pop standards that garnered favorable reviews and spawned a live DVD, Live...At Last. The Body Acoustic, a collection of stripped-down reinventions of previous hits, followed in 2005. In 2008, Lauper released her tenth studio album, the dance-oriented Bring Ya to the Brink. She then switched gears for 2010's Memphis Blues, which featured her versions of several classic blues songs. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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Music

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  • True Colors (Live)
    cyndi-lauper
    Video
    True Colors (Live)
  • Lady Marmalade (Live from VH1 Divas 2004)
    cyndi-lauper
    Video
    Lady Marmalade (Live from VH1 Divas 2004)
  • I'm Gonna Be Strong
    cyndi-lauper
    Video
    I'm Gonna Be Strong
  • Sally's Pigeons
    cyndi-lauper
    Video
    Sally's Pigeons
  • A Night To Remember
    cyndi-lauper
    Video
    A Night To Remember
  • Sisters Of Avalon
    cyndi-lauper
    Video
    Sisters Of Avalon
  • Heading West
    cyndi-lauper
    Video
    Heading West
  • Hole In My Heart
    cyndi-lauper
    Video
    Hole In My Heart
  • I Drove All Night
    cyndi-lauper
    Video
    I Drove All Night
  • Ballad Of Cleo & Joe
    cyndi-lauper
    Video
    Ballad Of Cleo & Joe

Interviews & Exclusives

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  •  Cyndi Lauper & Billy Porter On Cyndi's 'She's So Unusual' Tour
    cyndi-lauper
    video
    Cyndi Lauper & Billy Porter On Cyndi's 'She's So Unusual' Tour
  • Cyndi Lauper & Billy Porter On Their Inner Drag Queens
    cyndi-lauper
    video
    Cyndi Lauper & Billy Porter On Their Inner Drag Queens
  • Cyndi Lauper On Trying To Find The Balance Between Family & Career
    cyndi-lauper
    video
    Cyndi Lauper On Trying To Find The Balance Between Family & Career
  • Cyndi Lauper On The Songs She Wants To Play On Her New Tour
    cyndi-lauper
    video
    Cyndi Lauper On The Songs She Wants To Play On Her New Tour
  • Cyndi Lauper Says Justin Bieber Is Too Young For Her
    cyndi-lauper
    video
    Cyndi Lauper Says Justin Bieber Is Too Young For Her
  • Cyndi Lauper On The Woodie Awards
    cyndi-lauper
    video
    Cyndi Lauper On The Woodie Awards
  • Cyndi Is a Piece of Work [1996]
    cyndi-lauper
    video
    Cyndi Is a Piece of Work [1996]
  • 80s Christmas Shopping [1986]
    cyndi-lauper
    video
    80s Christmas Shopping [1986]
  • A Girl Just Wants to Have Fun
    cyndi-lauper
    video
    A Girl Just Wants to Have Fun

Photos

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  • Leighton Meester and Cyndi Lauper, on stage while accepting the Woodie Of The Year on behalf of Kings of Leon at the 2009 mtvU Woodie Awards.
    Cyndi Lauper
    Leighton Meester and Cyndi Lauper, on stage while accepting the Woodie Of The Year on behalf of Kings of Leon at the 2009 mtvU Woodie Awards.
    PictureGroup
  • Cyndi Lauper and Leighton Meester presenting the award for Woodie of the Year at the 2009 mtvU Woodie Awards.
    Cyndi Lauper
    Cyndi Lauper and Leighton Meester presenting the award for Woodie of the Year at the 2009 mtvU Woodie Awards.
    PictureGroup
  • Cyndi Lauper and Leona Lewis perform during the 2009 VH1 Divas at BAM on September 17, 2009 in New York City.
    Cyndi Lauper
    Cyndi Lauper and Leona Lewis perform during the 2009 VH1 Divas at BAM on September 17, 2009 in New York City.
    Scott Gries/PictureGroup
  • Leona Lewis and Cyndi Lauper perform during the 2009 VH1 Divas at BAM on September 17, 2009 in New York City
    Cyndi Lauper
    Leona Lewis and Cyndi Lauper perform during the 2009 VH1 Divas at BAM on September 17, 2009 in New York City
    Scott Gries/PictureGroup
  • Leona Lewis and Cyndi Lauper perform during the 2009 VH1 Divas at BAM on September 17, 2009 in New York City
    Cyndi Lauper
    Leona Lewis and Cyndi Lauper perform during the 2009 VH1 Divas at BAM on September 17, 2009 in New York City
    Scott Gries/PictureGroup
  • Kathy Griffin and Cyndi Lauper backstage at VH1 Divas at Brooklyn Academy of Music
    Cyndi Lauper
    Kathy Griffin and Cyndi Lauper backstage at VH1 Divas at Brooklyn Academy of Music
    Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
  • Kathy Griffin and Cyndi Lauper backstage at VH1 Divas at Brooklyn Academy of Music
    Cyndi Lauper
    Kathy Griffin and Cyndi Lauper backstage at VH1 Divas at Brooklyn Academy of Music
    Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
  • Cyndi Lauper peforms on stage at the 7th Annual VH1 "Divas" Concert Benefiting The Save The Music Foundation at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, April 18, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
    Cyndi Lauper
    Cyndi Lauper peforms on stage at the 7th Annual VH1 "Divas" Concert Benefiting The Save The Music Foundation at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, April 18, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
    Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
  • 1986 : CYNDI LAUPER.
    Cyndi Lauper
    1986 : CYNDI LAUPER.
    Patrick Riviere/Getty Images
  • Cyndi Lauper
    Cyndi Lauper
    Cyndi Lauper
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News

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  • Cyndi Lauper
    10 Reasons Homeboy Sandman Is Awesome
    MTV Hive
    May 21, 2013
    Last week, Queens-bred rapper  Homeboy Sandman  released his latest EP  Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent . As with anything Boy Sand related, the lyrical...
    Read More
  • Cyndi Lauper
    The 15 Greatest Prom Scenes In Movie History
    VH1 Celebrity
    May 21, 2013
    Everyone knows that the high school prom is the greatest most important day of your life ! Or at least one of them. Definitely in the top 10 ...
    Read More
  • Cyndi Lauper
    Arcade Fire Jam With Cyndi Lauper
    American Songwriter
    Girls just want to have fun, and so do Grammy-winning Canadian indie rockers, apparently. Arcade Fire aren't known for their levity, but that doesn't ...
    Read More
  • Cyndi Lauper
    Watch Arcade Fire Perform with Cyndi Lauper
    Paste
    Arcade Fire were joined by Cyndi Lauper during their set at the New Orleans Jazz Fest. The band has been covering Lauper's 1983 single "Girls Just Wan...
    Read More
  • Cyndi Lauper
    Cyndi Lauper: Steep Consequences for LGBT Youth in the Looming Fiscal Showdown
    www.rollingstone.com
    Cyndi Lauper Joel Garcia There's been a lot of talk lately about a "fiscal showdown," but frankly, I think the conversation could use some shaking up....
    Read More
  • Cyndi Lauper
    Watch St. Vincent And Alexis Krauss Sing "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" With Cyndi Lauper
    stereogum.com
    These days, every famous person is friends with every other famous person, and we get stark and mostly-inexplicable reminders of that every day. So he...
    Read More
  • Cyndi Lauper
    St. Vincent, Alexis Krauss, Rosie O'Donnell Join Cyndi Lauper for "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"
    Paste
    St. Vincent's Annie Clark and Sleigh Bells' Alexis Krauss took the stage with Cyndi Lauper to perform "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" during Lauper's Tr...
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  • Cyndi Lauper
    Flirty Tweets at Cyndi Lauper a Trick on the Press, Says Congressman
    www.billboard.com
    Sometimes, congressmen just want to have fun. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., said he wasn't flirting with singer Cyndi Lauper earlier this week when he tw...
    Read More
  • Cyndi Lauper
    Cyndi Lauper Musical 'Kinky Boots' Leads Tony Nominees
    www.rollingstone.com
    Cyndi Lauper's musical Kinky Boots leads Tony Awards nominees with 13 nods, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. The adaptation of the cros...
    Read More
  • Cyndi Lauper
    Cyndi Lauper's 'Kinky Boots' Kicks Up 13 Tony Award Nominations
    www.billboard.com
    The Cyndi Lauper-scored "Kinky Boots" has earned a leading 13 Tony Award nominations, with the British import "Matilda: The Musical" close behind with...
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  • Cyndi Lauper
    Cyndi Lauper Up For A Tony As ‘Kinky Boots’ Scores 13 Nominations
    idolator.com
    When Cyndi Met Tony Grammy and Emmy winner Cyndi Lauper is getting dangerously close to securing EGOT status. Kinky Boots, the new Broadway hit she pe...
    Read More
  • Cyndi Lauper
    Cyndi Lauper Musical 'Kinky Boots' Leads Tony Nominees With 13
    music.yahoo.com
    Related ContentView Photo Cyndi Lauper Musical 'Kinky Boots' Leads Tony Nominees With 13 Cyndi Lauper's musical Kinky Boots leads Tony Awards nominees...
    Read More

Tour Dates

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  • Jun 12 Wednesday
    San Diego, CA, US Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 13 Thursday
    Los Angeles, CA, US Greek Theatre
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  • Jun 15 Saturday
    Jacksonville, OR, US Britt Festivals Gardens and Amphitheater
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 16 Sunday
    Tacoma, WA, US Pantages Theatre, Broadway Center for the Arts
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  • Jun 18 Tuesday
    Sacramento, CA, US Crest Theatre
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  • Jun 19 Wednesday
    Saratoga, CA, US Mountain Winery
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  • Jun 21 Friday
    Temecula, CA, US Pechanga Resort & Casino
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  • Jun 22 Saturday
    Scottsdale, AZ, US Talking Stick Resort
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  • Jun 23 Sunday
    Tucson, AZ, US Fox Tucson Theatre
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  • Jun 25 Tuesday
    Austin, TX, US Stubb's Waller Creek Outdoor Amphitheater
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  • Jun 26 Wednesday
    Dallas, TX, US House of Blues
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  • Jun 28 Friday
    Houston, TX, US House of Blues
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  • Jun 29 Saturday
    Biloxi, MS, US Hard Rock Live
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  • Jun 30 Sunday
    New Orleans, LA, US House of Blues
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 2 Tuesday
    Atlanta, GA, US Atlanta Symphony Hall
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 3 Wednesday
    Charleston, SC, US North Charleston Performing Arts Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 5 Friday
    Portsmouth, VA, US nTelos Wireless Pavilion
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 6 Saturday
    Atlantic City, NJ, US Trump Taj Mahal
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 7 Sunday
    Newark, NJ, US New Jersey Performing Arts Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 9 Tuesday
    New Bedford, MA, US Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 10 Wednesday
    New York, NY, US Beacon Theatre
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 12 Friday
    Port Chester, NY, US The Capitol Theatre
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 13 Saturday
    Mashantucket, CT, US MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 10 Saturday
    Tokyo, Japan Unknown venue
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 10 Saturday
    Osaka, Japan Unknown venue
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 29 Thursday
    Melbourne, VIC, Australia Palais Theatre
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 30 Friday
    Melbourne, VIC, Australia Palais Theatre
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 31 Saturday
    Canberra, ACT, Australia Royal Theatre, National Convention Centre
    Buy Ticket
  • Sep 6 Friday
    Sydney, NSW, Australia Enmore Theatre
    Buy Ticket

Discography

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  • From Memphis with Love: Live (2011)
    Cyndi Lauper
    From Memphis with Love: Live (2011)
    Naïve
  • Memphis Blues (2010)
    Cyndi Lauper
    Memphis Blues (2010)
    Universal Music Canada
  • Bring Ya to the Brink (2008)
    Cyndi Lauper
    Bring Ya to the Brink (2008)
    Sony Music Distribution
  • The Body Acoustic (2005)
    Cyndi Lauper
    The Body Acoustic (2005)
    Sony Music Distribution
  • At Last (2003)
    Cyndi Lauper
    At Last (2003)
    Epic
  • Feels Like Christmas (2001)
    Cyndi Lauper
    Feels Like Christmas (2001)
    Sony Music Special Products
  • Merry Christmas...Have a Nice Life! (1998)
    Cyndi Lauper
    Merry Christmas...Have a Nice Life! (1998)
    Epic
  • Sisters of Avalon (1997)
    Cyndi Lauper
    Sisters of Avalon (1997)
    Epic
  • A Hat Full of Stars (1992)
    Cyndi Lauper
    A Hat Full of Stars (1992)
    Epic
  • A Night to Remember (1989)
    Cyndi Lauper
    A Night to Remember (1989)
    Epic
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