Posted in: Disney+, Music, Pop Culture, TV | Tagged: Chappell Roan, cyndi lauper

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Highlight: Chappell Roan Inducts Cyndi Lauper

During Saturday night's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, Chappell Roan offered a touching and empowering induction speech for Cyndi Lauper.

"I think we can all agree the best art comes from the most authentic people. When artists stay true to themselves, even when some people say they're too much, too loud, too eccentric, or all of the above, that honesty becomes their greatest strength." And with that, Chappell Roan began her speech inducting Cyndi Lauper into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. "It's that courage that not only creates incredible art, it gives everyone who experiences it the permission to be themselves. It opens their hearts, it changes their mind, and that is its power. Tonight, we honor a woman who redefined what a pop star could look like, sound like, sing like and be. A music legend whose authenticity has inspired us for the last four decades with her four-octave range, the amazingly fabulous Cyndi Lauper."

Lauper was a member of the Class of 2025, which also included Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Outkast, Soundgarden, The White Stripes, Salt-N-Pepa, Warren Zevon, Thom Bell, Nicky Hopkins, Carol Kaye, and Lenny Waronker. The induction ceremony was held on Saturday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, and was livestreamed on Disney+. Roan offered those in attendance and those watching at home a history lesson on Lauper's musical career and its societal impact, particularly on the LGBTQ community.

"Before the whole world knew that voice, Cyndi spent years singing in cover bands and working random jobs trying to find her way. And it wasn't until her band Blue Angel that people in the business started to notice her. The band eventually broke up, but Cyndi finally got her much-deserved, well-earned, overdue break in 1983 when she released her debut solo album, 'She's So Unusual'," Roan continued, noting that the album's release "marked a cultural shift and earned Cyndi the Grammy for best new artist… 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' was more than a hit. The song became a global feminist anthem, and the video a touchstone for her unmistakable style. 'Time After Time' is arguably one of the greatest love ballads to ever exist, and the naughty 'She Bop' and her iconic rendition of 'All Through the Night' further cemented Cyndi's status as a global superstar."

"Over the time of her 12 album releases and more, Cyndi spread her magical musical wings that have her venturing outside of pop and into blues, country, jazz, and even Broadway, for which she won a Tony," Roan continued. "Some of her incredible accomplishments also happen outside of the studio. They happen when she advocates for gay rights before the U.S. Senate. They happen through her non-profit, True Colors United, fighting to the end — fighting to end homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth. And they happen when she paves the way for artists like me to freely express myself. Cyndi Lauper has shown us that you can be bold, quirky, loud, glamorous, and have any hair color you want. She's empowered generations, opening our hearts, our minds, and broadcasting the beautiful message that we have the power to be who we authentically are."

But Roan's speech was also a personal and intimate one, as the superstar shared why Lauper is an artist she respects and admires, and how Lauper's music impacted her on a number of levels. "Cyndi embodies every quality of an artist that I admire. She's a born performer and a revolutionary songwriter, a forever fashion icon, and a fierce advocate and ally. And from the very beginning, she owned every ounce of who she was — the manic, panicked hair, all of those rad Fingerless gloves and those unbelievably layered, dynamic and one-of-a-kind vocals… Can I hear a little commotion for the vocals?"

"One of Cyndi's most inspiring songs to me personally is 'True Colors.' When I was 14 years old, I performed 'True Colors' at a talent show in my hometown in Missouri. That was my first time ever winning a competition for singing, and that has been so important to me ever since. 'True Colors' has gone on to be an anthem synonymous with love and acceptance in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond — a message that still stands the test of time."

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