On This Day — October 28, 2026
News and commentary · Checked October 28, 2026
Before “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” Cyndi Lauper had a band called Blue Angel.
When the band broke up, she returned to paid retail work at Screaming Mimi’s.
She said that when musician acquaintances came into the shop, she sometimes hid under the counter or pretended she was shopping. She felt embarrassed about having to start over.
But the shop became part of her creative life, and her relationship with owner Laura Wills continued for decades.
Screaming Mimi’s is now at 240 West 14th Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. Her job was at an earlier location.
It’s a very New York reminder: a day job can be part of someone’s success story.
Sources: PEOPLE · Time Out New York
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