Chappell Roan honours Cyndi Lauper’s LGBTQ+ legacy at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction
– 1 min read
Pop icon Cyndi Lauper was formally inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday night (8 November) in Los Angeles, with queer pop star Chappell Roan delivering a tribute that celebrated Lauper’s decades-long impact on music and LGBTQ+ visibility.
Roan praised Lauper as a “born performer and revolutionary songwriter, a forever fashion icon and a fierce advocate and ally”. She highlighted Lauper’s authenticity and courage, saying: “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.”
The 26-year-old singer also shared a personal connection to Lauper’s music, recalling how she performed True Colors at a talent show aged 14 — a song that has become an enduring anthem of love and acceptance within the LGBTQ+ community. Lauper herself founded the non-profit True Colors United in 2008 to combat homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth, cementing her role as an activist as well as an artist.
Lauper marked the occasion with a vibrant performance, opening with True Colors as a progress pride flag unfurled behind her. She then delivered Time After Time alongside British singer Raye, before inviting Avril Lavigne and Salt-N-Pepa to join her for a rousing rendition of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - updated to “Girls they wanna have fundamental rights”.
In her acceptance speech, Lauper reflected on her place in music history: “I stand on the shoulders of the women who came before me, and my shoulders are broad enough to have the women who come after me stand on mine. The little kid in me still believes that rock ‘n’ roll can save the world.”
The ceremony, streamed live on Disney+, also honoured fellow inductees including OutKast, The White Stripes, Soundgarden and Joe Cocker. Lauper’s induction comes as she prepares for an extended farewell tour and a Las Vegas residency in 2026.
