Cyndi Lauper: “Madonna and I Inspired Each Other”

Rolling Stone caught up with Cyndi Lauper to chat about what inspired her and about her favorite female rockers from yesterday and today…

Rolling Stone: Did you feel a kinship with other female musicians who were kind of coming in around the same time as you back in the Eighties?
Cyndi Lauper: Well I had my alter-image, Madonna [laughs]. No matter what I did, there she was, and no matter what she did, there I was. And it wasn’t similar, and it was never intentional. We inspired each other. I am inspired by her, because she still does it, and she looks great, and I’m always on a diet, I can never keep a diet, but she looks fantastic, she always does, so that’s inspiring.

Rolling Stone: Do you think having her around made you raise your game as an artist?
Cyndi Lauper: No, in the Eighties I was really heartbroken that they would pit us against each other. Because I’ve always believed sisterhood is a powerful thing, and I just wanted to have a friend in the industry. Another rocker. But they always isolate you when you become popular, when you become famous, and then you’re isolated all of a sudden. Nobody can get to you, I guess because everybody wants to get to you.