Cyndi Lauper is one of the most notorious musical icons ever to exist. With a career spanning over 40 years, the star has accomplished a lot in her lifetime in the music industry as a singer and songwriter, as well as having her time to shine as an actress as well. Known for her distinctive image composed of various hair colors and eclectic clothing, Lauper has been a role model for many in various areas of life. She has been celebrated for her work in the entertainment world as well as her work as a humanitarian and advocate, and her beauty inside and out has resonated with fans and critics alike.
With songs like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Time After Time,” and “True Colors,” Lauper has proven to be just as eclectic within her musical range as she is with her fashionable appearance. The songstress has been praised for her songwriting abilities, as well as her absolutely breathtaking vocal arrangements and four-octave vocal range. Her music has been both fun and innovative, and at many times has been a way for her to highlight multiple social issues and forward her work as an advocate.
During her many years in the spotlight, Lauper has had to endure her fair share of hardships both within her career and within her personal life and relationships. Luckily, the now 70-year-old star has also been able to live out her wildest dreams of becoming a successful musician and has even found a dream-like romance with her longtime and stunningly talented partner. The happy couple has been married for almost 30 years, and their love is just as strong as ever.
Early Life And Career Start
Born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 22, 1953, Lauper grew up in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, where she enjoyed listening to artists such as The Beatles and Judy Garland. Lauper quickly picked up some musical abilities of her own and began writing songs and playing the acoustic guitar at the age of 12. Her individualism started early as she found a liking to eccentric and unconventional clothing and ways of dressing.
School was difficult for Lauper for a number of reasons, including being picked on by her classmates and struggling with her behavior and her studies. She was expelled from Richmond Hill High School but later earned her GED and eventually went off to study art at Johnson State College in Vermont.
During the early 1970s, Lauper began performing as a vocalist with various cover bands. Even though she was performing on stage in front of others, she was not thrilled about just singing covers. She eventually had to take away from singing after damaging her vocal cords but regained her voice after working with a vocal coach.
In 1978, Lauper joined forces with saxophone player John Turi, and the two formed a band together called Blue Angel. They released a demo tape of their own music and were discovered by Steve Massarsky, a music manager for The Allman Brothers Band. The singer had actually received a few recording offers as a solo artist but wanted to stay as part of the band. Blue Angel’s self-titled album was well received by critics, but the general public was not yet sold on the sound, resulting in the band breaking up.
Releasing Her First Solo Album
After the band split, Lauper had to return to a sense of normalcy that strayed from her career ambitions. She picked up jobs in retail stores and as a waitress to help pay for her bills while she sang in clubs in her surrounding area. She never gave up making it big in the music industry and was later signed to Portrait Records, a subsidiary of Epic Records. In October 1983, Lauper hit a personal milestone in her career and released her first solo album titled “She’s So Unusual.” The album was a hit with fans and critics around the world, thanks in part to singles like “Time After Time” and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”
Even today, these songs are considered true masterpieces in the music world and have been covered by a variety of professional artists and hopeful singers. A new version of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was released on Lauper’s greatest hits album, “Twelve Deadly Cyns… and Then Some,” in 1994. “Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)” had a reggae spin on the pop classic.
Finding commercial success and critical acclaim was a huge turning point for the songstress, and she went on to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1985. Her album and singles had also received a combined four nominations at the awards ceremony. Lauper went on to be celebrated in the mainstream world for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” and the song’s music video even won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video in 1984.
Working In The Entertainment Industry
Lauper’s second album, “True Colors,” was released in 1986 and featured the highly successful track “True Colors.” Lauper had also begun working with other artists professionally and recorded a song called “Code of Silence” with Billy Joel for his album “The Bridge.” In August 1988, the singer-songwriter showed more of her range of talents and made her film debut in the comedy “Vibes” alongside Jeff Goldblum and Peter Falk. Of course, Lauper made sure to show off the talent that made her famous and contributed a track to the movie’s soundtrack called “Hole in My Heart (All the Way to China).”
The star appeared in a few movies over the next few years until she landed a recurring role on the TV series “Mad About You” in 1993, which included other stars such as Helen Hunt and Lisa Kudrow. She appeared on the show until 1999, and her role earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 1995. Lauper has also appeared in a few other television shows, including “That’s So Raven,” “Bob’s Burgers,” and “Bones.”
Despite not enjoying the times she had to perform covers of songs when she was first starting out, Lauper has included a few on her albums over the years. Her third album, “A Night to Remember,” was released in 1989. The only hit from the album was “I Drove All Night,” a song originally recorded by Roy Orbison. Album sales were pretty low, but Lauper still received rave reviews from critics and was nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 1990 Grammy Awards for “I Drove All Night.”
Sharing The Spotlight
Much like her third album, Lauper’s fourth received critical acclaim but failed commercially. Luckily she found her way back to resonating with her fans and the general public with the release of her next album, entitled “Sisters of Avalon.” Lauper’s music began addressing social issues, and she made her voice heard through her work.
Embodying her inner female empowerment, Lauper performed with Ann Wilson from the band Heart and with the girl group Destiny’s Child in “Women Rock! Girls and Guitars” in October 2000. In April 2004, she performed at the benefit concert Divas Live 2004 with many female artists, including Ashanti, Gladys Knight, Jessica Simpson, Joss Stone, and Patti LaBelle.
While Lauper has been praised for her amazing voice and many fans have grown to love her individualistic style, one of her most prominent talents is being a songwriter. She composed both the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical “Kinky Boots.” The musical was a smash hit and earned 13 nominations at the 2013 Tony Awards, taking home six wins. Lauper herself won the award for Best Original Score, becoming the first solo woman to win in the category. Over the show’s run, many artists have had their time to shine in leading and supporting roles, including Billy Porter, Wayne Brady, and David Cook.
Riding on her wave of success, Lauper embarked on an international tour in the summer of 2013 as she toured in celebration of her debut album’s 30th anniversary. She played a mix of fan favorites as well as the entirety of the album “She’s So Unusual.”
Helping Others
Throughout her career, Lauper has found a way to highlight social issues that matter to her through her musical works, advocacy, and humanitarianism. Passionate about LGBTQIA+ equality rights, Lauper has served as a member of the Matthew Shepard Foundation Board, and her song, “Above the Clouds,” celebrates the memory of Matthew Shepard. During her True Colors tour, $1 from each ticket sold was given to the Human Rights Campaign. Lauper’s organization, True Colors United, implements innovative solutions to help homeless youth in the LGBTQIA+ community.
In December 2020, Lauper put on her 10th annual Home for the Holidays benefit concert in conjunction with True Colors United, as 100% of the profits went toward the organization. The concert premiered on the singer’s TikTok on Dec. 11, 2021, with follow-up streams on her YouTube and Facebook accounts two days later. The event featured appearances and performances from a wide array of stars, including Cher, Boy George, Taylor Swift, and Carson Kressley.
Lauper has also been open about living with psoriasis, a condition that causes skin cells to pile up and form visible patches or spots on the skin, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD). Some ways to help lessen the condition include managing stress and finding time to care for yourself. Lauper talked with AAD about how she has many go-to techniques to help relieve her stress both at home and on the road, including breathing exercises, meditation, and going for walks. “It’s not a bad thing to take care of yourself, to make a little time for you,” she said.
The Man Lauper Is Married To
During her time working as an actress, Lauper met fellow actor David Thornton, 68, and the two naturally hit it off. Best known for his work in “Home Alone 3,” “Law & Order: SVU,” and “The Notebook,” Thornton has proven to be a successful actor in the industry, although one of his best roles is being a husband to Lauper.
Speaking with the Independent in October 2011, Lauper opened up about feeling depressed and doubtful about her future after suffering through some rough relationships and hardships within her career until she decided to take a role in the film “Off and Running.” “So the movie seemed like the chance of a vacation from myself, a way to get lost in work and forget who I was,” Lauper explained. “Then I met David and everything changed.” She explained how shy he was around her and how she flirted with the actor by teasing him. They spent many nights walking on the moonlight beach together.
In “Off and Running,” Lauper dressed as a mermaid for the opening titles alongside several other women doing the same. When one woman in particular had gotten a little cozy with Thornton, Lauper had gotten jealous, and it dawned on her that she really liked him. The two finally had a moment together in a hotel in Miami, which Lauper revealed was where she realized she loved the man.
“Two weeks after we’d really gotten together, he was talking about marriage,” the singer said. Not wanting to be too hasty, the couple waited a bit and spent an entire month alone together at Cape Cod in Massachusetts. “We could stand each other, so we decided to go ahead and marry,” she candidly explained.
Their Long-Lasting Romance
Thornton proposed in Los Angeles with several rings, allowing Lauper to choose the one that best suited her, and she settled on an antique Roman ring. They got married in New York in November 1991 and went on to have one son together named Declyn Wallace Thornton Lauper, who was born in 1997.
Thornton also spoke with the Independent and shared his side of the story of how he and Lauper met and first began dating. “Cyndi and I didn’t communicate much on set at first,” he said. “I was worried that if we became friendly and liked each other it might affect the scenes we do together, which are fairly angry and violent.” The actor explained how he and Lauper first developed a real friendship and had dinner regularly before he realized that he actually had romantic feelings for the singer.
“One evening in the elevator I kissed her goodbye as she was getting out, and I must have gone crimson,” Thornton admitted. Their romance quickly blossomed afterward. “The idea of marriage came after I woke one morning and realized this woman loves me about as completely as is humanly possible,” he said. Thornton added, “The thing that really excites me is that Cyndi will never grow old.”
Lauper has accomplished a lot over the span of her career as a singer, songwriter, and actress, and she has been lucky enough to find real love. The love Lauper and Thornton have for one another is evident, and their almost 30-year long marriage is a testament to that. Through personal ups and downs and the rollercoaster of living as a celebrity, these two have been able to make their love last.
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