At the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony honored Italian American pop legend Cyndi Lauper – a defining voice of the 1980s. She was introduced by rising star Chappell Roan, who paid tribute to Lauper’s fearless originality and lasting influence.
With timeless hits like Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, True Colors, and Time After Time, Lauper became a symbol of creative freedom and female empowerment, inspiring generations of artists who followed.
Her mother, Catrine Dominique Gallo, was of Sicilian descent from Palermo, and Lauper has often spoken about her deep connection to those roots and her admiration for Southern Italian women. Her career reflects the same mix of resilience and passion. As a pop singer, she sold over 50 million records and won a Grammy. As an actress, she took home an Emmy. As a Broadway composer, she earned a Tony for the musical Kinky Boots. And as a writer, her memoir A Memoir became a New York Times bestseller.
Reflecting on her family’s journey, Lauper once described her grandmother’s story – a woman forced into marriage by her father, sent to New York without knowing a word of English, and working long hours cleaning, cooking, and washing clothes. “My mother and aunt also weren’t allowed to pursue what they dreamed of,” Lauper said. “At a very young age I realized – this is where I come from.” Seeing her mother’s pain after being denied a proper education and a coveted scholarship marked her deeply.
In tribute to them both, Lauper joined her first feminist march at just fifteen. “It was clear to me,” she said, “that I wanted to live with the same freedom men had.” She adds with a smile, “I’m Sicilian – I don’t forgive and I don’t forget.” That fiery determination, however, became her strength. It shaped her identity and fueled her lifelong activism for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and the empowerment of the underprivileged.
Cyndi Lauper remains a cultural force whose voice and vision remind the world that pop music can be both joyful and deeply human.
