Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Cyndi Lauper
How Cyndi Lauper built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Cyndi Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, and actress recognized for her unique style, vocal range, and significant contributions to the music industry, having sold over 50 million records globally. Beyond her artistic achievements, she is also known for her advocacy and humanitarian work, particularly her support for LGBT rights in the United States.
1978: Formation of Blue Angel
In 1978, Cyndi Lauper met John Turi and formed the band Blue Angel, recording a demo tape of original music that led to a management deal.
1980: Blue Angel Album Release
In 1980, Blue Angel, the band featuring Cyndi Lauper, released their album on Polydor Records, which Lauper disliked the cover of. The album sold poorly and the band broke up.
1981: Signing with Portrait Records
In 1981, while singing in a local New York bar, Cyndi Lauper met David Wolff, who became her manager and helped her sign a recording contract with Portrait Records.
October 14, 1983: Release of She's So Unusual
On October 14, 1983, Cyndi Lauper released her first solo album, "She's So Unusual", which became a worldwide hit and established her unique image.
1983: Release of "She's So Unusual"
In 1983, Cyndi Lauper released her debut album, "She's So Unusual," which became the first debut album by a female artist to have four top-five hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
1983: Start of Lauper's Album Releases
Since 1983, Cyndi Lauper has released twelve studio albums and participated in various other projects.
1984: "She Bop" Included in PMRC's "Filthy Fifteen" List
In 1984, "She Bop" was included in the PMRC's "Filthy Fifteen" list that led to the Parental Advisory sticker.
1984: Wins First Best Female Video at MTV Video Music Awards
In 1984, Cyndi Lauper won the first Best Female Video award at the MTV Video Music Awards.
1984: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Music Video Wins at VMAs
In 1984, the music video for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" won the first-ever Best Female Video prize at the VMAs.
1984: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Video Award
In 1984, the video for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" won the inaugural award for Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards, and made Cyndi Lauper an MTV staple.
1985: Lauper's Media Recognition
In 1985, Cyndi Lauper appeared on the covers of Rolling Stone, Time, and Newsweek magazines, and was named a Ms. magazine Woman of the Year.
1985: Participation in "We Are the World"
In 1985, Cyndi Lauper participated in USA for Africa's famine-relief fund-raising single "We Are the World".
1985: Release of "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough"
In 1985, Cyndi Lauper released the single "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough," from the soundtrack to the film The Goonies, which reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1985: Grammy Win for Best New Artist
In 1985, Cyndi Lauper won Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards. She also wore many necklaces to the award ceremony.
1986: Collaboration with Billy Joel and Theme Song for Pee-wee's Playhouse
In 1986, Cyndi Lauper appeared on Billy Joel's album "The Bridge" and sang the theme song for "Pee-wee's Playhouse".
1986: Release of "True Colors" Album
In 1986, Cyndi Lauper released her second album, "True Colors", which reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
1987: Cyndi Lauper in Paris Concert Film
In 1987, David Wolff produced a concert film for Cyndi Lauper called "Cyndi Lauper in Paris", which was broadcast on HBO.
August 1988: Film Debut in Vibes
In August 1988, Cyndi Lauper made her film debut in the comedy "Vibes", playing a psychic, which was poorly received but later considered a cult classic.
1989: Chart Success with "I Drove All Night"
In 1989, Cyndi Lauper's chart success continued with the release of the single "I Drove All Night".
1989: Release of A Night to Remember
In the spring of 1989, Cyndi Lauper's third album, A Night to Remember, was released. It featured the hit single "I Drove All Night."
May 1990: John Lennon Tribute Concert
In May 1990, Cyndi Lauper participated in the John Lennon tribute concert in Liverpool, performing "Hey Bulldog" and "Working Class Hero".
June 1993: Release of Hat Full of Stars
In June 1993, Cyndi Lauper's fourth album, "Hat Full of Stars," was released and, while critically acclaimed, failed commercially.
1993: Acting Roles and Emmy Award
In 1993, Cyndi Lauper acted in "Life with Mikey" and won an Emmy Award for her role in "Mad About You".
1993: Dance Club Hit with "That's What I Think"
In 1993, Cyndi Lauper had a dance club hit with the single "That's What I Think".
1996: Release of Sisters of Avalon in Japan
In 1996, Cyndi Lauper's fifth album, "Sisters of Avalon", was released in Japan.
January 17, 1999: Appearance on The Simpsons
On January 17, 1999, Cyndi Lauper appeared as an animated version of herself in The Simpsons episode "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken".
October 12, 2000: Women in Rock, Girls with Guitars
On October 12, 2000, Cyndi Lauper participated in the television show Women in Rock, Girls with Guitars, performing with Ann Wilson of Heart and Destiny's Child.
2000: Contribution to Rugrats in Paris Soundtrack
In 2000, Cyndi Lauper contributed to the soundtrack of Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, performing the song "I Want a Mom That Will Last Forever".
2002: Release of 'The Essential Cyndi Lauper'
In 2002, Sony released 'The Essential Cyndi Lauper', a best-of CD.
2003: Release of 'At Last'
In 2003, Cyndi Lauper released a cover album with Sony/Epic Records entitled 'At Last'.
April 2004: VH1 Divas Live 2004 Performance
In April 2004, Cyndi Lauper performed at VH1's Divas Live 2004 benefit concert, supporting the Save the Music Foundation.
2005: Release of 'The Body Acoustic' and 'Queer as Folk' appearance
In 2005, Cyndi Lauper released her ninth studio album 'The Body Acoustic' and appeared on Showtime's 'Queer as Folk'.
2005: Concert Tour Promoting the Matthew Shepard Foundation's Message
In 2005, as a member of the Matthew Shepard Foundation Board, Cyndi Lauper devoted a concert tour to promoting the Foundation's message.
2006: Commercial Direction, Judging, and Broadway Debut
In 2006, Cyndi Lauper directed a commercial for Trivial Pursuit, served as a judge on the Independent Music Awards, and debuted on Broadway in 'The Threepenny Opera'.
June 2007: Co-founded the True Colors Tour for Human Rights
In June 2007, Cyndi Lauper co-founded the True Colors tour for Human Rights throughout the United States and Canada.
2007: Guest Performance on 'The Backyardigans'
In 2007, Cyndi Lauper was a guest performer on 'The Backyardigans', singing "Lady in Pink".
May 27, 2008: Release of 'Bring Ya to the Brink'
On May 27, 2008, Cyndi Lauper's tenth studio album, 'Bring Ya to the Brink,' was released in the United States.
August 2008: Contributes to The Huffington Post and Performs at Democratic National Convention
In August 2008, Cyndi Lauper contributed an article titled "Hope" to The Huffington Post, encouraging Americans to vote for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, and performed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
2008: Lauper started True Colors United
In 2008, Cyndi Lauper started True Colors United. The organization works to end youth homelessness, focusing on the experiences of LGBT youth.
November 17, 2009: Collaboration with Wyclef Jean on Late Show
On November 17, 2009, Cyndi Lauper performed a collaborative work with Wyclef Jean called "Slumdog Millionaire" on the Late Show with David Letterman.
2009: Guest Starring Role on 'Bones'
In 2009, Cyndi Lauper guest starred in the first of five episodes of 'Bones' on FOX, playing psychic Avalon Harmonia.
March 2010: Appearance on 'The Celebrity Apprentice'
In March 2010, Cyndi Lauper appeared on NBC's 'The Celebrity Apprentice', finishing in sixth place.
April 2010: TCU Launched the Give a Damn campaign
In April 2010, True Colors United (TCU) launched the Give a Damn campaign, to help get straight people more involved in LGBT rights.
June 22, 2010: Release of Memphis Blues
On June 22, 2010, Cyndi Lauper's album 'Memphis Blues' was released.
2010: "Memphis Blues" Album Success
In 2010, Cyndi Lauper's "Memphis Blues" became Billboard's most successful blues album of the year.
November 2011: Release of Christmas Singles on iTunes
In November 2011, Cyndi Lauper released two Christmas singles exclusively to iTunes: "Blue Christmas" and "Home for the Holidays".
September 2012: Fashion Show Performance and Memoir Release
In September 2012, Cyndi Lauper performed at Betsey Johnson's fashion show and released her New York Times best-selling memoir.
October 2012: Kinky Boots Opens in Chicago
In October 2012, the musical 'Kinky Boots', for which Cyndi Lauper composed music and lyrics, opened in Chicago.
April 4, 2013: Kinky Boots Opens on Broadway
On April 4, 2013, the musical Kinky Boots, for which Cyndi Lauper composed the music, opened on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.
2013: 30th Anniversary Tour
In 2013, Cyndi Lauper embarked on an international tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of her debut album 'She's So Unusual'.
2013: Tony Award for Kinky Boots
In 2013, Cyndi Lauper won the Tony Award for Best Original Score for composing the Broadway musical "Kinky Boots".
April 23, 2014: Guest on Cher's Dressed to Kill Tour
Starting April 23, 2014, Cyndi Lauper was a guest on 36 dates of Cher's Dressed to Kill Tour.
September 17, 2014: Performance on America's Got Talent
On September 17, 2014, Cyndi Lauper sang on the finale of America's Got Talent.
2014: Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album
In 2014, Cyndi Lauper was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for the cast recording of "Kinky Boots".
March 2015: Guest Starring Role on 'Bones'
In March 2015, Cyndi Lauper guest starred on the crime show 'Bones' as Avalon Harmonia.
July 2015: Psoriasis Awareness Campaign
In July 2015, Cyndi Lauper promoted her work with Novartis and the National Psoriasis Foundation on The Today Show, discussing her own experience with psoriasis.
September 15, 2015: Kinky Boots Opens in London's West End
On September 15, 2015, Kinky Boots opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End.
January 2016: Announcement of New Album 'Detour'
In January 2016, Cyndi Lauper announced the release of her new album 'Detour' for May 6, 2016.
February 17, 2016: Release of 'Funnel of Love'
On February 17, 2016, Cyndi Lauper released her version of Wanda Jackson's "Funnel of Love".
May 6, 2016: Release of 'Detour'
On May 6, 2016, Cyndi Lauper released her album 'Detour', composed of interpretations of early country classics.
May 2016: Featured on Jean-Michel Jarre's Album
In May 2016, Cyndi Lauper was featured on "Swipe to the Right" from Electronica 2: The Heart of Noise by Jean-Michel Jarre.
2016: Olivier Award for Kinky Boots
In 2016, the West End production of "Kinky Boots" won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
January 2017: Appearance on Austin City Limits
In January 2017, Cyndi Lauper appeared on Austin City Limits' 42nd season, performing classic songs and country tunes from 'Detour'.
March 2018: Composing Score for Working Girl Musical
In March 2018, it was announced that Cyndi Lauper and Rob Hyman would compose the score for the musical version of the film 'Working Girl'.
October 22, 2018: Guest Starring Role on Magnum P.I.
On October 22, 2018, Cyndi Lauper guest starred as a lawyer in an episode of the reboot of the television series 'Magnum P.I.'.
January 2019: Song Featured in 'Racetime'
In January 2019, the song "Together", performed by Cyndi Lauper, was featured in the Canadian animated film 'Racetime'.
April 7, 2019: Kinky Boots Ends Broadway Run
On April 7, 2019, after a six-year run and 2,507 regular shows, Kinky Boots ended its Broadway run.
June 26, 2019: Performance at Stonewall 50 - WorldPride NYC 2019
On June 26, 2019, Cyndi Lauper performed at the opening ceremony of Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019.
September 6, 2019: Release of 'Japanese Singles Collection'
On September 6, 2019, Cyndi Lauper's 'Japanese Singles Collection – Greatest Hits' album was released.
September 2019: Announcement of Netflix Comedy Series
In September 2019, it was announced that Cyndi Lauper would star in a new Netflix comedy series with Jane Lynch.
January 26, 2020: Performance at the Grammy Awards
On January 26, 2020, Cyndi Lauper sang a chorus from "I Sing the Body Electric" at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards Show.
April 23, 2020: Online Fundraising Concert for LGBTQ Nightlife Workers
On April 23, 2020, Cyndi Lauper participated in an online fundraising concert to raise money for LGBTQ nightlife workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic, ending the concert by performing "True Colors".
November 2020: Duet with Casey Abrams
In November 2020, Cyndi Lauper dueted with Casey Abrams on a cover version of the song "Eve of Destruction".
November 2021: Guest Vocalist on Shea Diamond Track
In November 2021, Cyndi Lauper featured as a guest vocalist on the track "Blame it on Christmas" by Shea Diamond.
May 2022: Alison Ellwood to Direct Career Retrospective Documentary
In May 2022, it was announced that Alison Ellwood will direct a career retrospective documentary about Cyndi Lauper, entitled Let The Canary Sing.
December 2022: Lauper Performs at White House Celebration
In December 2022, Cyndi Lauper and Alex Nolan performed "True Colors" at a White House celebration where President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, providing federal recognition to same-sex marriages.
December 2022: Lauper Performs at Respect for Marriage Act Signing
In December 2022, Cyndi Lauper performed "True Colors" at the ceremony where U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law.
2022: Launches the Girls Just Want To Have Fundamental Rights Fund
In 2022, Cyndi Lauper launched the Girls Just Want To Have Fundamental Rights Fund, with a mission to support organizations fighting for the right to abortion and reproductive healthcare.
2022: Performs at MusiCares Tribute Show
In 2022, Cyndi Lauper performed at the MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute Show honoring Joni Mitchell.
January 2023: "Gonna Be You" Soundtrack Single Release
In January 2023, the soundtrack single "Gonna Be You" from the movie '80 for Brady' was released, featuring Cyndi Lauper, Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Debbie Harry, and Gloria Estefan.
June 2023: Let The Canary Sing Documentary Premieres
In June 2023, the documentary film 'Let The Canary Sing', about Cyndi Lauper's career, premiered.
July 2023: Lauper Releases "Oh Dolores" and Appears in "The Horror of Dolores Roach"
In July 2023, Cyndi Lauper released the track "Oh Dolores" for the television series 'The Horror of Dolores Roach,' in which she also has a recurring guest role.
February 2024: Collaboration with Pophouse Announced
In February 2024, Cyndi Lauper announced a collaboration with Pophouse, where they bought parts of her song catalog, and future projects would include a television series, festival and immersive theater experience.
May 31, 2024: Let the Canary Sing Soundtrack Released
On May 31, 2024, the soundtrack for the documentary 'Let the Canary Sing' was released.
June 4, 2024: Let the Canary Sing Documentary Debut
On June 4, 2024, the documentary 'Let the Canary Sing' about Cyndi Lauper's career debuted on Paramount+.
June 29, 2024: Performs at Glastonbury Festival
On June 29, 2024, Cyndi Lauper performed at the Glastonbury Festival in England.
October 18, 2024: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour Begins
On October 18, 2024, Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour began in Montreal, Canada.
February 28, 2025: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour Ends
On February 28, 2025, Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour will end in Paris, France.
