Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper is a singer, songwriter and actress from Brooklyn, New York, United States. She is known for a four-octave vocal range and for work across pop, pop rock, rock, new wave, dance-pop and blues. She also works as a film, television and theatre actress and has won both Grammy and Emmy awards.

Early career

Lauper is born Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper in Brooklyn in 1953. She begins her career singing in a cover band and then starts performing her own songs. Before her solo breakthrough, she is the lead singer of the rockabilly band Blue Angel. By 1980, Blue Angel releases a rockabilly album on Polydor. Although the record receives critical praise, it does not sell well, the group breaks up and Lauper files for bankruptcy.

Solo success

In 1983, Lauper starts dating her manager David Wolff and releases She’s So Unusual, which becomes a worldwide hit and makes her widely known. The album combines teen-friendly pop-rock with edgier, near-punk elements. Its biggest hit, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” becomes a female anthem. Lauper wins the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1984 for her work on the album. She is also the first female artist to have four consecutive Hot 100 top-five hits from one album.

Later work

Lauper’s later albums include True Colors, A Night to Remember, Hat Full of Stars and Memphis Blues. These records do not sell as strongly as her breakthrough release, but she remains active and keeps a large fan base. Detour, released on Sire Records, is recorded in Nashville and produced by Tony Brown. It debuts at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and number four on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and sells over a million copies. Lauper also takes part in Peace Choir.

Awards and recognition

Lauper is a Grammy Award-winning singer and an Emmy Award-winning actress. Her image, distinctive voice and visual style become closely associated with 1980s pop and new wave.