Cyndi Lauper’s trailblazing 40-year music career has been defined by her powerful voice, eclectic style, and her fierce allyship with the queer community.
The beloved icon is now getting ready to say goodbye to a major component of her musical legacy by embarking on a farewell tour, but not before going out with a bang!
Bursting onto the scene with her debut 1984 album She’s So Unusual, Lauper quickly became a household name with iconic hits like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time.” Her distinctive sound and endearing personality resonated with fans around the world, especially her LGBTQ+ ones.
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Lauper’s 1986 single “True Colors,” inspired by the passing of her friend Gregory Natal from HIV/AIDS, has become a gay anthem and a beacon for much of the pop diva’s LGBTQ+ advocacy over the last four decades.
In addition to selling over 50 million records, Lauper’s plethora of accolades include two Grammys, an Emmy Award for a guest role on ’90s sitcom Mad About You, and a Tony Award for writing the original score (music and lyrics) for Broadway musical Kinky Boots. It’s safe to say EGOT status is in sight, but more on that later.
Beyond her artistic achievements, Lauper has been a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. In the 1980s and ’90s, she became an outspoken supporter of the community using her platform to raise awareness about issues like HIV/AIDS and the fight against discrimination.
In 2007, she launched the multi-artist True Colors tours which raised funds for the HRC, PFLAG and The Matthew Shepard Foundation. Her dedication culminated in the founding of the nonprofit True Colors United, which works to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ youth.
Now, Lauper is getting ready to launch a 23-city headlining tour, her first in a decade, which is also set to be her final arena spectacle. While The Girls Just Want To Have Fun Farewell Tour is not her swan-song to performing, it will bring an end to her days on the concert-touring circuit.
Ahead of the launch of the tour, Queerty got a chance to chat with Lauper about her extensive career and LGBTQ+ activism, what to expect on her farewell concerts, being pitted against Madonna back in the day, the rise of Chappell Roan, and the 2024 election, including her experience working with you-know-who on Celebrity Apprentice.
You’ve been such a staunch supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. From songs to tours to the various charity organizations like True Colors United, you’ve been one of our fiercest allies. I wonder if you could speak a little to your connection to your queer fans. Since you’ve done so much for us, what has it meant for you?
Well, I don’t see it like that. I’m a friend and family member of the community. And I believe very strongly that if somebody goes after your family or your friends, you stand up and you say something when you know it’s wrong. We all should.
And we thank you! Now, everyone is so excited about The Girls Just Want To Have Fun Farewell Tour. What can you tell us about it?
Oh, my God, it’s gonna be a lot of fun! That’s what I’ll tell you. There’s a lot of great visuals. And it’s a wonderful band. So there’s five women, and three men. To me that’s a good balance, because most of my life it’s been different.
Will you be reworking any of the classics and bringing out any surprise guests?
You know I’ve done that. I think when people come to see you when it’s your farewell tour, they want to hear the song. Right now it’s 19 songs, and that’s without talking. So you don’t want people to look at their watch and go, ‘Oh, my God, I love it! But when is this over?’
But it’s gonna be a fun show and they’ll be an opportunity for everyone to join in. We’re collaborating with different artists. I’m collaborating with fashion people like [Project Runway season 18 winner] Geoffrey Mac, who’s making some costumes for me, and Christian Siriano, who’s making costumes for me. Christian said, ‘Cyn, the gays need glamour. Gotta wear this.’ But I always say to him, ‘But can I run in it? Can I drop and roll?’ I have to be able to move, you know.
I’m so excited about the special guests. They’re all really, really special and I can’t even believe it. All of these kids are so awesome. Elle King and Lu Kala. Amanda Shires has a terrific voice and she plays that fiddle. I just I think she’s great. Emily Estefan was in my band for a brief second, and Aly and AJ, Tones And I, Trixie Mattel and Gayle. I’m just so excited.
Following the release of your documentary Let the Canary Sing, do you have any plans to turn it into a scripted biopic? Your story is so fascinating and we have to get you that Oscar/EGOT.
Well, you know, Kinky Boots might eventually be a movie, the musical version. And I’m going to take a break at the end of 2025 to take Working Girl to La Jolla [Playhouse], a musical of the movie and who knows? That might turn into a movie.
I like to write for independent people especially if I kind of know the director. I want to be able to give the director what they need so that they can feel good about the story they want to tell especially, in an indie film.
But my story? I don’t know. And, besides, who the hell would play me? Although, Julia Stiles, who was in my “Sally’s Pigeons” video, I hired her because she looked a little like me when I was 12. Obviously, she went on to greater and bigger things, thank goodness, and she’s a wonderful actress. But you know, I don’t know. You can’t do a biopic of yourself. What is that?
You and Madonna were pitted against each other back in the day by the press and Andy Cohen recently asked you about Lionel Richie apologizing for excluding Madonna from “We are the World.” You’ve always stayed above the fray of all the drama, but if you could sit down with Madonna, what would you want to say?
All I’m telling you, come on, when you saw “Like a Prayer”, and she pissed everybody off, didn’t you just freakin’ love her? That’s when I just said, ‘Okay, hands down. Sorry. Love her.’ Oh, my God! I still love that song.
She’s entertained us for years. I kind of was really into that pirate look for a minute [her Madame X eye patch era]. Couple of years ago she was doing the pirate thing with the one eye and I was like ‘That’s sexy!’ Pirates are sexy.
No, listen. She’s busy, plus she has a family. I got my family. And plus when I’m working I don’t see anybody.
You’ve influenced so many artists and many young people are calling Chappell Roan the Cyndi Lauper of their generation. What are your thoughts on Chappell and her music?
I can’t get “Red Wine Supernova” out of my head. I think she’s terrific, and I think she’s a visual artist. She writes good songs and she’s a really good singer/performer. So I think she’s terrific. And who doesn’t love red hair? Come on. But I can’t wear it that red anymore. I just think it’s too harsh on my face, and plus you can’t buy fire engine red anymore. You just can’t.
We have the election coming up and, obviously, you stand for gay rights, women’s rights, reproductive rights. You were on Celebrity Apprentice back in 2009, looking back, did you see any red flags that could have forewarned us of what was to come with he-who-shall-not-be-named?
No, I really, really didn’t. Because he was a reality star and he knew how to stand in his light, and he knew what to say on the show. He did say a few things that I thought were odd, but the money that we raised from Celebrity Apprentice helped us start the Give a Damn campaign [a project of Lauper’s True Colors United], which was very influential and helped people a lot. And that was the start of our program to bring people together and understand what was going on for the LGBTQ+ community.
But what I would say now is, vote! It’s very important and represent yourself.
One last question. Is there one thing in your career that you’re most proud of?
Not one thing, but I’m glad that I stuck to all of the things that everyone called me a pain in the ass for. I didn’t just want a freakin’ hit song. I wanted a song that was going to help people and lift people up. I wanted something that was bigger than me that I could look back and say, ‘Okay. I tried’ and it helped somebody. If you’re gonna climb to the top of the freaking mountain, have something good to say, right?
Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun Farewell Tour launches on Friday, October 18th in Montreal and will work its way across North America before heading to Europe and Australia in 2025.
This interview has edited, and condensed for clarity.
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