Chappell Roan honoured Cyndi Lauper as a “fierce advocate and ally” of the LGBTQ+ community before a powerful performance…
Cyndi Lauper’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community was on full display this past weekend at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles as she became one of this year’s inductees.
The first reminder to Lauper’s unwavering support and activism came from pop princess Chappell Roan, who took to the stage to pay tribute to the “born performer and revolutionary songwriter.” Roan was dressed in a look that paid tribute to two different outfits from Lauper’s iconic “True Colors” music video. Styled by Genesis Webb, Roan wore a custom newspaper skirt by Efrain Nava made from dynamic strips of broadsheets, with wide Rococo-esque hips. Roan also wore a glittering custom headpiece like one Lauper wore in another “True Colors” visual scene, reimagined and designed by Manny Robertson—the back of the headgear featured a sweet collage of the singer.
“Cyndi embodies every quality of an artist that I admire,” Roan began. “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.”
“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,” she continued. “‘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.”
In a speech accepting her new position in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Lauper paid tribute to both the female music stars who existed before her, and those who have thrived after her.
“I just want to say that I stand on the shoulders of the women who came before me, and my shoulders are broad enough to have the women who came after me stand on mine,” she said. “The little kid in me still believes that rock ‘n’ roll can save the world. I just want to say now of all time, let’s come together again and do good in the world because it needs us.”
Lauper then performed three of her biggest hits, beginning with “True Colors” while a rainbow flag beamed behind her. The most emotional moment of the evening came when Lauper stopped singing “True Colors” and simply held her fist in the air in silence for at least 30 seconds in solidarity with the queer community. It was a stirring, heartfelt moment, before she asked everyone to turn on the lights on their phone, adding “there’s a community of light. Don’t forget that if it gets really dark.” Lauper then sang a rendition of her 1983 hit “Time After Time” with British singer RAYE, before closing her induction set with her iconic hit “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” with Avril Lavigne and then Salt-N-Pepa.
Beamed live on Disney +, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 40th induction ceremony honoured Cyndi Lauper, as well as Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Outkast, Soundgarden and The White Stripes in the performer category, Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon for musical influence; Thom Bell, Nicky Hopkins and Carol Kaye for musical excellence, and longtime Warner Records executive Lenny Waronker with the Ahmet Ertegun Award (named after the Atlantic Records co-founder). A primetime trimmed-down special will air on ABC on January, 1, 2026.
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