By Hayden Wright
Through the decades, the public has seen Cyndi Lauper through many different prisms: spunky New Yorker, carefree oddball, human rights advocate, Celebrity Apprentice contestant, Tony-winning Broadway songwriter and countless more. However, for her latest album Detour, Lauper discovered strong country inspirations.
Related: Cyndi Lauper Covers Dolly Parton’s ‘Hard Candy Christmas’
Recorded in Nashville, Detour gave her the chance to work with Willie Nelson.
“I tried to be professional, but you know when you’re overwhelmed — when he came in, I almost cried,” she told Entertainment Weekly.
The sights and sounds of Nashville also helped inspire the record through osmosis.
“The first hotel we stayed at in Nashville had a big art piece on the wall, and in the corner it said ‘What Would Dolly Do?’” Lauper said. “I kept thinking that all the way through. I decided she would definitely do one of her songs.”
