It’s sad when many of the celebrities I grew up with are showing up on the cover of AARP Magazine. In past issues, the magazine has featured Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder and Adam Duritz of Counting Crows as cover models. For the August/September issue of the magazine, 80s icon Cyndi Lauper is the mag’s cover girl. Let’s all feel old now, shall we?
The legendary singer, now 63, is one Academy Award away from joining the esteemed few dubbed EGOTs. She won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1985, won a Tony for her score for the ah-mahz-ing Broadway musical Kinky Boots in 2013 and won an Emmy for her guest role on the sitcom Mad About You back in 1995. Cyndi recently released her 11th CD, Detour. The CD is aptly titled, because the woman who once sang edgy, slightly pinky pop hits is now covering classic country tunes from the likes of Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton.
The seemingly ageless Cyndi, who is also a very active and vocal gay rights activist (which I love her even more for), shared her wisdom with the magazine, served up with her always unique style. Here are some highlights:
She has no regrets: “You can’t live your whole life worrying about staying famous,” she says. “If losing some fame means doing what you want, you gotta go with what you want.”
Well, maybe one: “I was never smart about money like Prince. I wish I wasn’t taken advantage of so much.”
Her guiding philosophy: ”Don’t let people tell you what you can and can’t get away with at this point in your life.”
On politics: “I’ll never tell people what to think, but I will beg them to think. Not to just blindly follow along.”
On holding on to her signature style: “I think I have reached an age when I can have pink hair if I want – or blue hair. But blue, it turns a little green, so right now I am going with the pink.”
On aging: “It sucks. That’s it. I really think that when Armageddon comes, it’s gonna be just cockroaches, me and Cher. And we’re gonna do the ‘End of the World Tour.’ I’ll probably open for her.”
[From People and AARP Magazine]
I love this woman so hard. I saw her open for Cher last year (yes, I adore Broadway musicals and Cher.) She completely blew the roof off of the place. I can only hope I will age as gracefully and with as much style as Ms. Lauper.
Photo credit: AARP, Getty Images, WENN.com, Fame Flynet
She is one great dame.
That’s one of the funniest comments I’ve heard in a long time….Her, cockroaches and Cher….The End of the World Tour. LOLOLO. God love her…Girl’s Just Wanna Have Fun!
She’s 2 years younger than my mom and can still rock the boots!
Forget gross Madonna, I want to be like her when I grow up (I’m 45 in 2 weeks).
heck yeah! I want to be as cool as Cyndi or Shirley Manson, not Madonna. Though I have more time.
Every response is great, that magazine is officially my favorite. Bruce, Eddie, Cyndi, cool gang. And I love that she mentioned Prince without even trying to sound pathetic.
I know CB fans have their favorites and not so favorites, but I still love Madonna. Cyndi Lauper looks amazing and is hilarious. Not sure if she had kids like Madonna, and that adds a level of drama that not everyone can gracefully roll with. I just finished a five year custody battle with success. During the past five years I was under the microscope and judged for the way I dressed, my lovers,you name it. So I look at women who have public pain and try not to judge
LoveIsBlynd, Thank you. I find your perspective interesting. Clearly since I don’t walk in those shoes, I have to imagine what it would be like to be a professional performer.
To clarify my above comments, I have been a longtime Madonna fan and enjoy her musical talents. The thing I take pause with is similar to Demi Moore and many others, the trend has become this thing where some women are fighting the aging process so much that they become caricatures of themselves. The boy toys are amusing and I get the urge to resist becoming grey-haired old ladies, although Helen Mirren is positively awesome in so many ways.
The thing that I admire about ladies like Cyndi Lauper and Susan Saradon is that they seem to embrace their authenticity and uniqueness. Cyndi is just as ostentatious as ever, but she still looks like herself.
Madonna, as cool as she can be when in good form, can also try so hard that it’s off-putting. Not a new thing there. And stuff like the veiny arms, too many fillers, and horrendous fashion choices are what puts the word gross into my mind. The overdoing it with all the Rebel Heart stuff also got really annoying.
That said, I get the custody dispute being stressful and will grant that it’s not easy at all. I’m glad you made it through to the other side.
Opening for Cher at the end of the world tour – I am crying into my eggs. Love her AND Cher! Was just talking about Mermaids last night.
Me too, that phrase was genius. Also, Mermaids is in my top three movies of all time! Great taste.
I feel kind of bad that she ‘opened’ for Cher I love Cher they are both icons why did they not co-headline?
Sure they could co-headline but I thought it was really sweet of her to say that. Shows the respect and humility she has. She’s lovely.
She forgot Keith Richards at the guitar !!! LOL
I love her too. I hope I can come to. With her and Cher and the cockroaches.
“I’ll never tell people what to think, but I will beg them to think. Not to just blindly follow along.”…I love that!
She’s super cool. I think it’s also enlightening to see how she still dresses sexy and shows some skin but it doesn’t seem so forced and desperate like with Madonna?
Yes, she’s clearly just more comfortable in her skin and generally more secure than Madonna is.
I totally agree. It just looks like “her” and not like she’s grasping for attention.
Madonna was never talented. She is the biggest showgirl ever, but you cannot compare them. Cyndi is not fame hungry, she is keeping her business personal, she never played the big star card. She is not a follower, nor she needs to turn something into a big thing. Lauper is classic.
You know what… Cyndi Lauper is spirit animal. Yes, growing old sucks and it is mandatory but growing up is optional. Stay the way you are Cyndi…. I loved you in the 80’s and I still love you now. Girls just want to have fun, Time after time.
I can’t remember the last time when s.o. said “aging sucks”. Everywhere 60 is the new 40 and 70 the new 30 and all this nerves grating positivity…
Loved her on Bones. I wish I knew her music.
She looks great. At her age, she can still rock those outrageous outfits and costumes. She doesn’t look try hard and pathetic. I guess it is because she is one of the few authentic artists that came out in the 80s.
She does. I love her. Oh and her legs at sixty three look better than mine at forty.
She’s So Unusual. I love Cyndi Lauper for so many reasons. Such a talent, she puts her money where her mouth is, and genuinely seems like a beautifully evolved human. Plus, she’s hilarious in all of her interviews. She’s the real deal, always has been, always will be.
(And nice shout out to Happy Endings with A-MAH-zing Corey!!!)
Are you kidding me? Everyone knows that after Armageddon it will only be Keith Richards and cockroaches left.
Love this chick, her energy, her vibes, her everything. I hope she gets her “O”. Off to listen to She Bop.
She’s an International Treasure! Love her.
Never change Cyndi, never change!
She was my first idol. When people were rocking Madonna lace gloves I was begging my parents to let me shave the side of my head and wear nothing but plaid. In the 6th grade my first concert was Cyndi and oh gosh, her pipes…. she blew me away and inspired me to begin playing instruments and singing starting in middle school. I will always always ALWAYS love her!
LMMFAO @ ” it’s gonna be just cockroaches, me and Cher. And we’re gonna do the ‘End of the World Tour.’ I’ll probably open for her.” She is EVERYTHING for this !!
This clip with performing with Estelle & Kelly Rowland is a must watch
“We’re gonna take something old and make it Really Old”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jFlvyfpWPg
Thank you so much for posting that, @Maire3. Just what I needed today!
Lover her and I hate hate hate the sexism of the music industry. While the old men of the music industry are celebrated no matter what, women are judged for every breath they take.
One of my favorite bands, All Saints, have recently reunited and made a spectacular album and they are basically torn apart with “but are they still fuckable” and constantly asked about their children. Meanwhile any ole male musician just needs to put on a leather jacket and strap on a guitar and is the definition of cool no matter the age. Drives me nuts.
My brother signed me up for AARP when I turned 30 (he’s never admitted it, nor has he denied it.) Now I want to know why he didn’t spring for the five year deal, because I kind of want this issue of their magazine 😝 She’s So Unusual was one of the first cassettes I listened to over and over and over. 💜💜 her!
She is the voice of my childhood. Everyone else loved Madonna. I was a Cyndi Lauper fan. I still think that I chose right.
I really like Cyndi but that vh1 reality show she did left a sour taste in my mouth. She was kinda annoying in it.
She’s really funny, though, and she’s extravagant while seeming genuine, which is something few can pull off. As posters above can said, she can pull off the most ridiculous looks without seeming desperate like Madonna.
I love her.
Holy Sh!t. She looks AMAZING!
All love to Cyndi. Her song “I Drove All Night” is one of the sexiest and best I’ve ever heard. However, in giving kudos to one woman, it’s not necessary to knock another woman. I don’t think men do this. How does this sound, “Keith Richard is the quintessential rock star. Pete Townsend, on the other hand, is looking desperate and pathetic.” It’s not a zero sum game for men; why should it be for women? What about inclusiveness and not being so damn judgmental about other women? As feminists, we self-sabotage with this kind of thinking and talk. Why can’t Cyndi, Cher and Madonna all be good/great in their own ways?
A very long time ago, I read an article talking in Mademoiselle magazine, (now defunct), that talked about the discussion the editors had about either putting Cindi Lauper on the cover or Madonna. Everyone thought that Cindi was way more talented, but Madonna was more famous. They went with Madonna and I guess as they say…”the rest is history.”
I saw her on tour recently and she can kick butt for hours. She was more energetic and animated than anyone in the place, ripping through her hits effortlessly. She’s an amazing act live, as well as a wonderful song writer and musician. Love Cyndi!