Cyndi Lauper said it’s unfortunate that she was pitted against Madonna when they were on their rise to fame in the 1980s.
“Isn’t that sad, there can only be room for one? The hell was that? I didn’t like it,” Lauper, 70, told E! News last week.
When asked if she ever spoke to Madonna, 65, about their dynamic, Lauper said, “Nah. I didn’t think she liked me that much.”
The “True Colors” artist also explained how she made it a point to distinguish herself from the “Material Girl” singer when they both had blonde hair in the ’80s.
“I said, ‘OK doll, I’ll just put a black spot here so they know the difference between the two of us,’ ” she said.
In an interview with the New York Times, Lauper said she wished she was friends with Madonna, rather than rivals.
“It was a shame. I would have liked to have a friend.”
Both singers released their first albums in 1983. Lauper’s “She’s So Unusual” boasted the hit singles “Time After Time,” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “All Through the Night,” while Madonna’s eponymous album included “Holiday,” “Lucky Star” and “Borderline.”
In 1985, Lauper and Madonna were both in the running to be featured on Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie’s charity song “We Are the World.”
Lauper was chosen over Madonna, which Richie, 74, said was a mistake on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in February.
“It’s probably one of the most interesting questions in the world,” Richie said to Jimmy Kimmel when the late-night host asked why it had to be between Lauper and Madonna.
“We had only a half a line to sing. Let me say this now: half a line,” Richie continued. “We had to have voices that people knew right away. We didn’t know whether Cyndi was coming. At the [American Music Awards that year] I said, ‘Are you coming?’ and she said, ‘I spoke to my boyfriend and he says he doesn’t think it’s a hit,’ and I said, ‘Don’t miss this session.’ “
He added: “She showed up and killed it. The point was, you have to have an identifiable voice, for whatever reason it was just, Cyndi had that.”
“But you couldn’t have both of them,” Kimmel noted before adding, “You guys made a mistake.”
“You know I’m gonna I’m gonna say this now on national and international television. You’re right, you’re right,” Richie admitted. “We made a mistake.”
Despite being in competition with each other early on, Lauper and Madonna became two of the biggest stars in the music industry.
Lauper is preparing for her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour that will begin Oct. 18 and Dec. 5. She’s performing in 23 cities during the tour.
The Grammy Award winner also recently came out with a documentary, “Let the Canary Sing.” It premiered at Tribeca Film Festival last year and started streaming on Paramount+ earlier this month.
“I’m very proud of what she did,” Lauper told Variety about Alison Ellwood, who directed the project.
“She’s a filmmaker, and I wanted a film, not just a TV gossipy thing,” Lauper added. “I was hoping that she would make a real film, and I think she did. The only thing is, I was in it — it was me. But it’s still interesting. It tells a story.”
“And I didn’t want to be like Saint Cyndi. I’m not perfect. I say the wrong things sometimes, and I keep trying to be a good leader and I’m still learning.”