Cyndi Lauper on Touring with Rod Stewart and Wanting an Oscar

Steve Duffy READ TIME: 5 MIN.

A Grammy, Emmy and Tony award-winning artist with a 30-year career and global record sales in excess of 50 million, Cyndi Lauper has proven herself to be a show business dynamo. Recently Lauper added being a New York Times best-selling author to her accomplishments with her autobiography -- "Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir" -- published by Simon & Schuster. "Kinky Boots," her first outing as a Broadway composer for which she won a Tony, is well into its fourth year in New York. Last year its London production took home the Olivier Award for Best Musical. It was recently announced that Lauper is writing the score for a musical adaptation of the 1988 comedy "Working Girl."

She is also a leading LGBTQ activist, having founded the True Colors Fund; a nonprofit that educates people on LGBTQ issues and helps to end homelessness for LGBTQ youth. For this work she was recently awarded a 2017 Logo Trailblazer Honor. Asked by Billboard Magazine last month why she became a LGBTQ ally, she responded: "I've been involved because if it's your friends and family, how long are you supposed to stand by and watch their civil rights be stripped? I decided to do what I always do. If you're Italian, you always do that. You stand up for your own. You don't keep your mouth shut; you stand up. You tell your story and you allow other people to tell their story."

Lauper starts an 18-city tour with Rod Stewart on July 6. (Follow this link for the tour dates.)

EDGE recently caught up with Lauper for an interview.

Working with Rod Stewart

EDGE: How did the idea for you and Rod to tour together happen?

Cyndi Lauper: Rod and I performed together once in the 80s. We shared the stage at a private event last year. It was great. At the end of the evening he said 'we should do that again.' Not long after that, my agent called and said the tour was coming together. I was so excited and surprised of course! It's going to be so much fun. Can't wait to get on the road with Sir Rod.

EDGE: What are you looking forward to most touring with Rod Stewart?

Cyndi Lauper: It's going to be one big party. Not just for the folks who bought the tickets, but for all of us -- our bands, me and Rod. It is going to be fun too. Rod and I actually have a lot in common... we love to perform, love talking about music, and of course fashion. He is quite the funny and charming gent too; it's going to be great.

EDGE: What is your favorite Rod Stewart song?

Cyndi Lauper: If you ask me to pick just one, don't think I can do that. I have a lot of faves. I used to sing all of Rod's songs with my old band. I love them all. I can't wait to join him on tour and see him performing all my fave songs on stage. I hear on this run he is doing all of his hits, so I will be sitting side stage every single night!!

EDGE: You have so many great songs. What inspires the choice of songs you sing?

Cyndi Lauper: I write songs from personal experiences and life. I write songs that tell a story...and do I relate to the story? Was it a story that I could tell? Everything is a story. As a singer, you are a story teller. I look for a story that I can relate to and have fun with it. More importantly... One that I could sing well.

EDGE: For so many, the 80s is the best decade of music. What was your favorite part about being part of the MTV generation?

Cyndi Lauper: The 80s was a great time for music. It was all about originality and authenticity and because it was the birth of music television and we could show our videos on TV, not just at the few clubs that ran videos. We knew we had another way to get our music to our fans and that was exciting.

LGBTQ activism

EDGE: What does the continued support of the LGBT community mean to you?

Cyndi Lauper: My gay fans have always been loyal to me, and I am loyal to them as well. The fact the gay fans always stood up for me and supported my music is something I'm very proud of and of course gay fans have helped with my longevity. They have followed me thru every creative twist and turn!

EDGE: Why did you became so passionate about gay rights advocacy?

Cyndi Lauper: When I learned that up to 40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness in America are LGBT, while only 7 percent of the general youth population is LGBT, the decision to focus my energy to help them was easy. These are our kids! They are our future teachers, doctors, parents, and so much more. It is our job to stand up for them and make sure that they can be the happy, healthy, and productive adults they want and deserve to be... I have had the honor to meet so many young people over the years and to work with many young people through the True Colors Fund. They are the most resilient and inspiring people you will ever meet.

EDGE: When was the first time you realized you were famous?

Cyndi Lauper: When my mom called me one Halloween evening and said the girls were showing up at her house dressed up like me for Halloween. LOL.

EDGE: If you were not a musician, what would you be?

Cyndi Lauper: I used to paint. Maybe I would have become a painter. I love photographs, so maybe I would have seen if I could have been a photographer. Not sure if I would have been good at either but art and photographs are passions of mine. Or maybe I would have been a makeup artist. I'm pretty good at that.

EDGE: What is the most important lesson your career has taught you?

Cyndi Lauper: Be who you want to be! Never let anyone else tell you who you ought to be!

EDGE: Is there anything you haven't done yet in your career that you want to do?

Cyndi Lauper: I want an Oscar so I can have an EGOT. I just have a GET right now. I want to write music for a movie and I want to continue to write songs for Broadway, to do more TV, I want to keep making records, want to continue to tour and doing shows but on the bucket list #1 is that Oscar, baby! Ha!

For more information on Cyndi Lauper, visit visit her website.


by Steve Duffy

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