Cyndi Lauper

Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper, born June 22, 1953, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Dubbed the "Queen of Quirky Pop," she is recognized for her distinct four-octave vocal range, eccentric image, and humanitarian work advocating for LGBTQ rights in the United States. Lauper has sold over 50 million records worldwide across a career spanning twelve studio albums alongside stage, film, and television projects.

Lauper was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to a Catholic family of Swiss-German and Italian descent. Following her parents' divorce when she was five, she grew up in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens. At age 12, she began writing songs and playing acoustic guitar. After being expelled from Richmond Hill High School, she later earned her General Educational Development (GED) diploma. She ran away from home at age 17, spending time in Canada before taking art classes at Johnson State College in Vermont while supporting herself with odd jobs.

In 1978, Lauper co-founded the new wave band Blue Angel with saxophonist John Turi. Signed to Polydor Records, the group released a self-titled studio album in 1980. Despite critical acclaim, the album sold poorly, leading to the band's breakup and a lawsuit from their manager that forced Lauper into bankruptcy. After suffering an inverted cyst on her vocal cord, she worked retail and waitressing jobs while singing in local New York clubs. In 1981, manager David Wolff signed her to Portrait Records.

Lauper achieved major commercial success with her debut solo album, She's So Unusual (1983). It became the first debut album by a female artist to produce four top-five Billboard Hot 100 hits: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "Time After Time," "She Bop," and "All Through the Night." The record won her the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1985. During the mid-to-late 1980s, Lauper contributed to the World Wrestling Federation's "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection," released the top-ten single "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough," and put out her second studio album, True Colors (1986). She also made her film acting debut in Vibes (1988) and released her third album, A Night to Remember (1989).

Lauper continued releasing music into subsequent decades, including Hat Full of Stars (1993) and the 2010 blues album Memphis Blues, which topped the Billboard Blues Albums chart for 13 consecutive weeks. In 2013, she composed the music for the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, winning the Tony Award for Best Original Score as the first woman to win the category alone. Her career honors include two Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Tony Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2025.