NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Pop singer, songwriter and Broadway musical composer Cyndi Lauper added a little country twang to her signature Queens accent.
Her country and western covers album “Detour,” which is out on Friday, brings another unexpected twist to a career that has included music, theater, television, movies, wrestling and activism. A musical chameleon, she’s won two Grammys, an Emmy and a Tony , but despite all the success, she said she’s not as savvy at the art of business.
“Much to the chagrin of my family, I have not been the greatest businesswoman,” Lauper said during an interview in Nashville, Tennessee. “I was always art for art’s sake. But you have to think of it like a business. It’s art and commerce and somewhere in between you find the mix.”
Her meandering path took her from Broadway where she wrote music for “Kinky Boots ,” which won six Tony Awards, to Music City where the pink-haired 62-year-old singer recorded her latest album with guest vocals from Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss and Emmylou Harris.
Together with producer Tony Brown, she worked with some of the city’s best session musicians to craft a live sound that wasn’t polished to perfection.