On October 25, 1986, Cyndi Lauper’s song “True Colors” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Charts. As the title song from her second album, “True Colors” stayed at the top spot for two weeks and also earned Lauper a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The inspiring ballad about embracing one’s true nature has a universally appealing message, making it a popular cover song for many well-known artists. It is also an empowering anthem for the LGBT community, inspiring the name of the nonprofit co-founded by Cyndi Lauper in 1986 to end the LGBT youth homelessness crisis, The True Colors Fund. The ballad is truly representative of the vibrant and empowering spirit of the trailblazing performer.
Although “True Colors” was the only song on Lauper’s second album that she did not write, she still had a strong imprint on the final recorded version. Penned by the songwriting team, Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, the lyrics were originally about Steinberg’s mother. The duo had already churned out hit songs for other artists, including Madonna’s “Like A Virgin.” After recording an elaborately produced demo of the song, they were elated when Lauper wanted to record it for her next album. They were even more excited when they heard Lauper’s sparse and delicate interpretation of their original song. The song has inspired many covers since Lauper’s original, including versions from Phil Collins, the cast of the TV show “Glee” and Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick for the film, “Trolls.” It was also featured in a touching Kodak TV ad in 1988.
By the time Lauper released this powerful single, she had already been making music for twenty years. Born Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper on June 22, 1953 in Astoria, NY, she had a tough time fitting in as a kid. Her divorced parents struggled to make ends meet and she had trouble towing the line in school. However, when she fell in love with music, she discovered her life’s passion.
Lauper started writing her own songs when she was 12 years old. After joining the band, Blue Angel, and scoring a record deal, Lauper was ready to stage her solo career. She took the world by storm with her aptly titled 1983 debut album, “She’s So Unusual,” that included contagious pop hits like “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” “Time After Time” and “All Through the Night.” With her colorful punk-pop look, Lauper was the epitome of the 1980s and her music videos became MTV staples. She won the Best New Artist award at the 1984 Grammys and the album sold six million copies in the U.S. and 16 million worldwide.
Since starting her iconic career over three decades ago, Lauper has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. In the late 1980s, Lauper forayed into acting. Her popular recurring role in the sitcom, “Mad About You,” won her an Emmy in 1995. In 2013, she won six Tony Awards for her musical, “Kinky Boots,” and broke new Broadway ground as the first female to win the Best Original Score category. In an interview about her history-making win, she shared, “I guess I’m the first woman, so maybe I’d do it for my mother and my grandmother who could not have careers, [and] for all the women that’ll follow me, because there’ll be lots of them.” She also won the Best Musical Theater Album award at the Grammys for “Kinky Boots” in 2014.
While still entertaining audiences today, the True Colors Fund continues to help stop the LGBT homelessness problem. On truecolorsfund.org, Lauper’s personal statement powerfully expresses the main mission of her organization: “Everyone —whether straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender — should be allowed to show their true colors, and be accepted and loved for who they are. Every American should be guaranteed equal treatment, at school, at work, in their relationships, in service of their country… and in every part of their lives.”
In her both her artistic and philanthropic work, Lauper continues to lead by example, letting her true colors shine through… like a rainbow.