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BORN: June 20, 1953, Queens, NY
1953: June 22nd
Cyndi Lauper (full name: Cynthia Ann Stephanie
Lauper Thornton), is born in Brooklyn-New York on
June 22nd 1953 (note that a lot of biogaphies are
wrong at this purpose: this is the correct date).
Her father is named Fred Lauper, her mother Catrine
Dominique (present in several videos), her sister
Elen Lauper (this one was, in politics, a member of
the Socialist Workers Party and she was a candidate
for the mayor of Phoenix. She is now an
accupuncturist in Glendale) and her brother Fred
(nicknamed as Butch).
Cyndi took up playing the guitar and writing lyrics
at the age of twelve. The first song she learnt to
play was "Greensleeves".
She went to 4 high schools. The one that gave her
the honorary high school diploma was Richmond Hill
High School in Richmond Hill, NY.
1977
In the mid-seventies she performed as a vocalist
with various cover bands in the New York
metropolitan area. She sang some songs of Jefferson
Airplane, Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, and some top 40
covers... The names of the cover bands were
"Doc West", "Flyer", ... In
1977, Cyndi extensively damaged her vocal cords,
leaving her virtually voiceless.
1980
After a full year of therapy with voice coach Katie
Agestra, Cyndi's voice was back and soon Cyndi and
multi-instrumentalist John Turi formed a new band,
'Blue Angel', which released its self-titled debut
album in 1980. This album included Maybe He'll Know
and Lauper's soaring rendition of Gene Pitney's I'm
Gonna Be Strong.
1983
Cyndi Lauper signed with Portrait Records as a solo
artist in the spring of 1983. Her first solo album,
She's So Unusual, was released at the end of the
year and went on to sell more than 4,5 million
copies in the United States alone. Moreover the
album was the first of a female artist to score four
Top Five singles from a debut album: Girls Just Want
To Have Fun, Time After Time, She Bop and All
Through The Night.
Recognition soon followed:
American Music Awards for Favorite Female Vocalist
Pop/Rock
American Music Awards for Favorite Female Vocalist
Video Pop/Rock
a Grammy award for Best New Artist
"Rolling Stone" Best New Artist and Best
Female Video Artist
MTV Best Female Video Artist
... and many others
1984
In 1984, Cyndi worked 350 days and neared her 300th
concert mark. She performed or promoted her records
in 150 cities. But she also found time to sit down
and design all the T-shirts sold at her concerts.
1986
In '86 True Colors was launched, the cast of this
album including notables such as Billy Joel, Nile
Rodgers, Rick Derringer, Aimee Mann and The Bangles.
Cyndi received a Grammy nomination for the single
True Colors. Cyndi co-produced this album.
1988
In October 1988, Cyndi travelled to the Soviet Union
as one of a group of American songwriters
collaborating with Soviet counterparts. The outcome
is a great song: Cold Sky found on the album Music
Speaks Louder Than Words.
1989
In 1989, Cyndi recorded the album A Night To
Remember of which some songs were re-released on a
single in January 1990. She again received a Grammy
nomination for the single I Drove All Night.
Hit records, performances during mega-events as The
Wall, award-winning videos, sold-out concert tours
and very positive media acclaim; the rest, to use
Lauper's expression, is "herstory".
1991: November 24
She got married to actor David Thornton on November
24th 1991 at the Friends Meeting House in New York.
Little Richard led the couple in the recitation of
their non-traditional vows, and Patti Labelle sang
the wedding theme "Come What May".
Cyndi's fourth album is Hat Full Of Stars. It's
maybe the most critically acclaimed to date:
The Village Voice said: "Hat Full Of Stars is
startingly wonderful. The singing is stellar, the
arrangements are happening".
Rolling Stone gave the album 3 1/2 stars and said:
"Her multi- octave voice has never sounded
better".
The New York Times said: "... Her new songs are
strong, the new Cyndi Lauper still embraces the old
one".
The Los Angeles Times called Hat Full Of Stars:
" ... her most consistently tuneful and
ambitious album".
When talking about this album Cyndi says: "I
wanted to make the album I always needed to make. I
had to say the things I never could." In
addition to co-producing and co-writing this album,
Cyndi is also directing three videos from it, making
her one of the few artist/directors in the pop world
today.
1994
In 1994, Cyndi released Twelve Deadly Cyns... And
Then Some. This album contains a lot of the singles
hits. Although this album has been released
worldwide in 1994, it is only released in July 1995
in US.
1996
In 1996, Sisters Of Avalon, the best album so far is
released in Japan. For the first time, Cyndi took
part in the writing of every song. Jan Pulsford, the
keyboardist co-wrote 11 songs. They are now
"Sisters Of Avalon".
1997
The album Sisters Of Avalon is released worldwide.
Cyndi is waiting her first child, a boy. She
announced it for the first time during 'Fox After
Breakfast' on April 28th. She said: "I'm in my
eleventh week and I know I'm having a football
player or model. I feel like this kid should be in
college by now, it's taking so long."
While pregnant, Cyndi tours in US as special guest
of Tina Turner for her "Wildest Dreams"
tour for 3 months.
Declyn Wallace Thornton Lauper is born on November
19th 1997. Cyndi left the clinic with her baby on
November 24th. The baby was waited for November
16th.
1998
Cyndi worked on her sitcom which unfortunately won't
never be broadcasted...
Then in October, she released her Christmas album.
This album was the last one with Sony.
1999
Cyndi continued to work on her sitcom, appeared
twice in Mad About You and did a US Tour as a Cher's
special guest.
Disco Inferno was a hit in the US clubs during
summer.
She is still looking for a new label.
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