Why Cyndi Lauper Is Ready for Farewell Tour Now: ‘I’m Strong’ (Exclusive)

On Tuesday, Cyndi Lauper premiered her deeply personal new documentary “Let the Canary Sing.”

“Extra” spoke with Cyndi about why it was the right time to tell her story and for her farewell tour.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lauper watched a documentary called “Laurel Canyon” directed by Alison Ellwood.

She shared, “Everyone said, ‘Hey, you know, you should do a documentary…’ When I saw Alison’s work, and she is a really wonderful filmmaker… I just thought, ‘Well, if I’m gonna do it, I want somebody to make a film, you know, ‘cause I love film…’ I honored that she took on this project.”

Lauper is known for marching to the beat of her own drum for decades, which the doc highlights.

She emphasized, “I don’t give a hoot what anybody says.”

Cyndi recalled someone throwing rocks at her for the way she dressed before hitting it big. She said, "When I became famous, all those people, all those kinds of people were wearing what I wore, so I learned a lesson. I learned, ‘Okay, don’t be so angry, and what do you care what people say?’”

Lauper’s final farewell tour is kicking off in the fall, and she’s ready for it!

She explained, “Right now, I’m strong and I think I can do a good job. But in five years, I don’t know… I just wanted to seize the moment now and do it.”

Lauper added, “I feel so lucky and grateful that I have the support of my community and the support of my industry.”

Cyndi has the support of her close friend Cher, who helped her cement her place in Hollywood history with a TCL Chinese Theater hand-and-footprint ceremony.

Lauper gushed, “I love that woman. She was even helping me with, you know, I was practicing, and she was like, ‘Don’t write it like that, write it like this.’  I was writing, like, a tiny signature.”

She noted, “It’s very rare that you know people who do the same thing… that are performers and singers… I feel very honored that I have a friend like her.”

Last month, Nicki Minaj brought out Cyndi for a performance of “Pink Friday Girls,” which samples her iconic hit “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

In a video, Nicki noted Cyndi’s influence on her career, telling the crowd, “I have been speaking about this woman in my interviews since I first began rapping.”

Reflecting on the ‘80s music video that accompanied her breakthrough hit, Lauper said, “I wanted to do a video where every little girl could see herself and understand that she, too, is entitled to have some [fun], a joyful experience in life, maybe be a performer, you know, do the same kind of thing.”

“It actually worked because that’s what [Minaj] said,” Cyndi added. “I couldn’t believe it… [It] was worth everything, just to hear that.”

Cyndi stressed the importance of sisterhood, which she called “a powerful thing.”