Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper

Active - 1990 - 2017  |   Born - Jun 22, 1953 in New York, New York, United States  |   Genres - Comedy, Music, Drama

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Biography by AllMovie

Awarded a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1984, the inimitable Cyndi Lauper has also accumulated a sufficient amount of screen and TV credits. Other than brief cameos in WWF videos during her bizarre wrestling-crossover phase, Lauper's first feature-film venture was in 1985, singing the theme song for The Goonies. She would appear on several other soundtracks throughout the decade (including singing the theme song for Pee-Wee's Playhouse), but her acting debut was in the star vehicle Vibes (1988), which didn't do too well at the box office. Her next leading role was in another flop, Off and Running (1990), where she met her husband, actor David Thornton. She had a small role in the family comedy Life With Mikey in 1993, as well as contributing to the musical score. While she continued to put out albums, she made a few guest appearances on TV shows. In 1995, she won an Emmy award for her role as Marianne on the sitcom Mad About You. It wasn't until her role as Sally in the independent film The Opportunists in 2000 that she got some critical acclaim for her acting performance in a film. She would follow this with a handful of selective appearances on screen over the coming years, playing cameo roles on shows like That's So Raven, and in films like National Lampoon's Dirty Movie.

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Factsheet

  • After she lost her voice in the late 1970s, doctors informed her she would never sing again, but with help of voice coach Katherine Agresta, she was able to resume her singing career.
  • Has a four-octave range.
  • Worked as a housekeeper, kennel worker and waitress before she hit it big.
  • Was the first female artist to score four Top Five singles from her debut album (1983's She's So Unusual).
  • Sang the theme song (credited as Ellen Shaw) to Pee-wee's Playhouse.
  • Her 2008 Bring Ya to the Brink CD yielded two singles that topped Billboard's dance music/club play charts.
  • That same year she was active in efforts to push for the election of Barack Obama for U.S. president.
  • Played a psychic on Bones in 2009.
  • Mattel released a Barbie doll of Lauper in 2010.
  • Her 2010 Memphis Blues CD, which featured covers of songs by the likes of Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, topped Billboard's blues charts.