Cyndi Lauper
In 1983, Cyndi Lauper released her debut solo album She's So Unusual, the first debut by a female artist to produce four Top 5 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Its quirky style and anthem Girls Just Want to Have Fun made her an instant pop icon. She won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1985.
Queens Beginnings
Born in 1953 and raised in the Ozone Park area of Queens, Cyndi Lauper began writing songs at age 12. She paid her dues in cover bands and the rockabilly group Blue Angel before going solo.
An Unusual Breakthrough
Her 1983 debut She's So Unusual broke records with four Top 5 hits and a distinctive, flamboyant image. Her colorful style and expressive voice made her one of the defining pop figures of the decade.
Broadway and Beyond
Lauper reinvented herself as a Tony-winning Broadway composer with Kinky Boots and remained an outspoken activist. Her farewell tour celebrated a career that bridged pop, theater, and advocacy.
Career Timeline
- 1953Born in Astoria, Queens, New York
- 1977Forms the band Blue Angel with John Turi
- 1983Debut album She's So Unusual makes her a star
- 1984Girls Just Want to Have Fun becomes an anthem
- 1985Wins the Grammy Award for Best New Artist
- 1986Releases True Colors with its hit title track
- 1989Scores a number-one hit with I Drove All Night
- 2013Wins a Tony Award for scoring Kinky Boots
- 2016Releases the country album Detour
- 2024Launches her Girls Just Want to Have Fun farewell tour
Biggest Hits
- Lauper's musical Kinky Boots won six Tony Awards, making her the first woman to win solo for Best Original Score.
- She appeared in 1980s professional wrestling storylines, helping spark the WWF's Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection.
Portrait: Library of Congress Life · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons