She started writing her own lyrics and playing acoustic guitar — a gift from her sister — around age 12, drawing early inspiration from The Beatles and Judy Garland. School wasn’t kind to her; she faced bullying over her look and eventually left Richmond Hill High School, later earning her GED. https://cefakt.com.ua/
At 17, she ran away from home, reportedly to escape an abusive stepfather, and spent time studying art in Canada before landing in Vermont, where she took art classes at Johnson State College. In 2019, the same institution — by then Northern Vermont University Johnson — awarded her an honorary Doctor of Letters.
Before music paid the bills, she worked odd jobs: waitressing, kennel attendant, even racehorse walker. Her voice itself nearly ended her career early — vocal cord damage in 1977 forced a full year of therapy and vocal coaching before she could sing professionally again.
Cyndi Lauper Songs And Music Career
Lauper’s professional path began with the band Blue Angel in 1978, which released one album in 1980 to critical acclaim but poor sales, followed by a messy breakup and a lawsuit that pushed her into bankruptcy. It was a rough start for someone who’d go on to sell over 50 million records worldwide.
Everything changed with her solo debut, She’s So Unusual, released in October 1983. The album made her the first female artist to land four consecutive top-five hits on the Billboard Hot 100, moved 6 million copies in the US, and stayed on the charts for 65 weeks.