Everything you need to know about 80s icon Cyndi Lauper
She's been announced for Glastonbury 2024
American singer and songwriter Cyndi Lauper released her debut album 'She's So Unusual' in 1983 and became a pop sensation seemingly overnight - she's now synonymous with the 80s and her hit songs have been enjoyed for decades.
Praised for her passion, creativity, powerful vocals and of course her distinctive look, the 80s wouldn't be complete without Cyndi! Here on Greatest Hits Radio we can't get enough of the pop sensation, who will be performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, and at the Royal Albert Hall in London, so we have put together a list of everything you need to know about Cyndi Lauper!
From awards she's won, to her film appearances, and her collaboration with Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle and Gloria Estefan on 'Gonna Be You', find out more about the 'Time After Time' singer...
What is Cyndi Lauper's real name?
Her full name is Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper.
Where is she from?
Cyndi was born in New York in 1953, and she still lives there.
How old is she?
Her birthday is 22nd June 1953, making her 70-years-old.
How many albums has Cyndi Lauper released?
The 'She Bop' singer has released 11 studio albums and seven compilation albums - to top it all off, she has sold around 50 million albums worldwide!
Some of her most popular albums are 'Twelve Deadly Cyns and Then Some', 'A Night To Remember', 'True Colors' and of course her debut album 'She's So Unusual'.
What awards has Cyndi Lauper won?
In 1984, Cyndi won a Grammy award for Best New Artist following the amazing success of her debut album which was released the year before.
It's no surprise that since then she has taken home many more awards, including the MTV Music Video Award for Best Female Video in 1984 for 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun', the Billboard Music Awards for Top Female Artist and Top New Artist in 1984, an ASCAP Pop Music Award for Most Performed Song in 1986 for 'Time After Time', and countless other nominations.
She was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015, and nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
Cyndi Lauper as an LGBTQ+ advocate
Cyndi has been a long-standing ally of the LGBTQ+ community, with her song 'True Colors' becoming an anthem. She founded True Colors United, a nonprofit to support homeless young LGBTQ+ people. Cyndi became involved in LGBTQ+ rights activism very early on in her career in support of her sister, who is a lesbian.
Has Cyndi Lauper been in any films?
As well as being a singer, Cyndi has tried her hand at acting, she had a cameo in Prime Cuts in 1984, and went on to appear in Vibes, Life with Mikey, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, The Opportunists, The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie, and Here and There.
She has also been in a number of TV shows including Bones, Happily Divorced, and Mad About You, which she won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for in 1995.
What is Cyndi's latest song called?
On 20th January 2023, Cyndi released her collab called 'Gonna Be You' for the soundtrack of the film 80 For Brady. The song was written by Grammy Award-winner Diane Warren.
Later in 2023, she release
Is there a Cyndi Lauper documentary?
On 3rd March 2023, Sony Music announced that a documentary about Cyndi Lauper is in production. Called Let the Canary Sing, it follows her incredible rise to fame and 'offers an immersive journey into the world of the iconic and history-making singer-songwriter, actor, activist, and best-selling musical composer.'
The documentary was made with support and participation from Cyndi. It had its premiere at the Tribeca Festival in June 2023.
Did Cyndi Lauper write the music for Kinky Boots?
Cyndi wrote the music for the theatre production Kinky Boots by Harvey Fierstein. It went on to win six Tony Awards including Best Musical. Cyndi is the only solo female who has won in the Best Musical category. The soundtrack also won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album in 2014.
Is Cyndi Lauper married?
The singer married actor David Thornton in 1991 and they have a son together who is called Declyn.
What are Cyndi Lauper's biggest songs?
Cyndi Lauper shot to fame with her girl-power anthem 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' and has released numerous other big hits since.
From her chart-topping hits to some gems you might have forgotten about, take a look through some of Cyndi Lauper's best songs.
'Time After Time'
'Time After Time' is definitely a fan favourite. This love song was one of Cyndi's first singles and is full of emotion. The ballad made it to Number 3 in the UK Chart when it was released in 1983.
Watch 'Time After Time' on YouTube
'Girls Just Want To Have Fun'
Originally sung by Robert Hazard to explain why he couldn't find a woman to settle down with, Cyndi Lauper turned the song on its head and made one of the greatest feminist anthems of all time.
It got to Number 2 in the UK Chart and was one of the biggest songs of the 80s.
Watch 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' on YouTube
'I Drove All Night'
Released in 1989, 'I Drove All Night' really shows off Cyndi Lauper's incredible vocal range. Cyndi wanted to cover the song as she liked the idea: "of a woman driving, of a woman in control." Celine Dion later covered the track in 2003.
Watch 'I Drove All Night' on YouTube
'True Colors'
'True Colors' is a heartwarming song that got Cyndi Lauper a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Vocal Performance.
Watch 'True Colors' on YouTube
'She Bop'
Although this catchy tune from 1983 didn't rank as highly in the charts, its still a fan favourite!
Watch 'She Bop' on YouTube
'I'm Gonna Be Strong'
'I'm Gonna Be Strong' from her 'Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some' album shows off Cyndi's incredible vocals. The song is both powerful and emotional, and is seriously underrated!
Watch 'I'm Gonna Be Strong' on YouTube
'Change of Heart'
From her second album, 'Change of Heart' is one of Cyndi's favourite songs to perform live, and she always puts on the most amazing performance!
Watch 'Change of Heart' on YouTube
'All Through The Night'
This is a cover of Jules Shear's song from his 1983 'Watch Dog' album which Cyndi made into a pop track. The lyrics, melody and vocals come together perfectly to make 'All Through The Night' a beautiful song.
Watch 'All Through The Night' on YouTube
'Just Your Fool'
Cyndi showed she could work across different music genres with her 'Memphis Blues' album, which she released in 2010 on her 57th birthday.
The best-selling album was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2011 for Best Traditional Blues Album, and the upbeat track 'Just Your Fool' features blues harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite.
Watch 'Just Your Fool' on YouTube
'The Goonies 'r' Good Enough'
With a long comedic music video, this song was written by Cyndi for The Goonies film soundtrack. She was the musical director for the film and she got her friends the Bangles onto the soundtrack as well. Listen to this song when you need a bit of 80s nostalgia!
Watch 'The Goonies 'r' Good Enough' on YouTube
When did 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' hit 1 billion YouTube views?
It certainly did! The digital milestone was reached in January 2022 and Cyndi took to social media to share her excitement, sharing a clip of the music video and thanking her fans.
Speaking about creating the song, she said: "When I got my feminist hands on it, I knew I wanted to make it into an anthem for all women. Sonically, I wanted the song to be uplifting and joyful. When it came time to make the video, it was really important to me to make sure we included women from every walk of life.
"I wanted every little girl watching the video to have the joyful experience of seeing herself on that screen. I wanted us to be a community."
Glastonbury Festival
In March 2024, Cyndi was announced to perform at Glastonbury on the Pyramid Stage. She will join a line-up which includes Shania Twain in the Legends slot and Paul Heaton, also on the iconic Pyramid Stage.
Royal Albert Hall, London
Along with her date at Glastonbury, Cyndi will be performing her hits at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 26th June. The singer told her fans: 'I haven’t played at the Royal Albert Hall since 1995, when I was there for my Twelve Deadly Cyns tour. I was dressed like a Queen surrounded by Queens singing “Hey Now (Girls Just Want To Have Fun) in all my glory! I had a blast. And not only is the Royal Albert Hall one of the most important music venues but over 20 Suffragette rallies were held there! That makes it great for me.'
Where can I listen to Cyndi Lauper's best songs?
On Greatest Hits Radio we play the biggest and best songs of the 70s, 80s and 90s, including Cyndi Lauper's classic tracks.
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