Rape, Depression, Sexism: Cyndi Lauper’s Excellent New Book.

Cyndi Lauper, 59, is most famous for her cartoon voice, quirky personality, wind-up toy energy and a quip to end every sentence. She became famous for her first hit single, “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.” But it wasn’t much fun for Lauper as she struggled for years, before getting famous in the 1980’s. The sassy Star shows a serious side in her shocking, yet uplifting new book: Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir.

Lauper’s book is candid, dishy and inspiring to all who’ve been down the same road; rather it be in the entertainment industry or just hard times in life. Most stunning about the book is her candor, Lauper doesn’t hold back when it comes to how she feels about celebrities she’s worked with, and shows her range as a writer in this page turner; that is sure to bring tears as well as smiles.

Born to a working class mother in Queens New York, Lauper and her two siblings didn’t always have much. Her mother worked 14 hour days as a waitress; so it gave Lauper plenty of time to discover her love of music, often listening to the Beatles, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Things changed horribly at home when Lauper’s mother married a pedophile, who beat and terrorized Lauper and the family. She left home at 17, when she caught her stepfather watching her take a bath.

Cyndi Lauper in the 1980's when she first hit the scene.

Things didn’t get much better out in the real world. Full of spunk but short on cash, Lauper hitchhiked one day to a job interview (as people did in the 60’s & 70’s) and was trapped by a man in a car, who wouldn’t release her until she had sex with him. Raped several more times (one guys own girlfriend cruelly held her down while he abused her) Lauper was often an emotional wreck but found her solace in music-especially “Across the Universe” by John Lennon. Lauper told the New York Post about the significance of the song, “I sang it to myself all the time because it had a prayer in it and it would help me to free my mind.”

Don't like the cover, but the book gets 4 Stars!

As Lauper prepares for the tidal wave of publicity that will follow the books release, she’s mostly crossing her fingers that “Kinky Boots,”-which is based on the 2005 British cult film, and has a musical score by Lauper-book by Harvey Fierstein, will be a hit when it premieres in Chicago Oct. 4-Nov. 2, On April 4, 2013 “Kinky Boots,” will officially open in New York on Broadway; not bad for a poor, Queens, New York girl.


Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir will be released on September 18, 2012.