Cyndi Lauper was "saved" by art.

Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper

The 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' hitmaker has revealed she was once told by her teachers that she would either be a famous artist or dead.

Speaking at Russell Simmons' annual Rush HeARTS education luncheon, she said: "I thank you, Russell, for honouring me and the True Colors fund. I've been a big fan ever since you came on the scene ... I get very impressed and inspired by what you guys are doing.

"I, myself, was challenged a lot in high school. I was actually voted most likely to fail. I failed a bunch, too, but art saved me, and teachers, a few real brave teachers who saw this pathway and said, 'Well, either you're going to be a famous Greenwich Village artist or dead', and I thought, 'Well, I should do the art.'"

Meanwhile, the 62-year-old singer has set her sights on releasing a country album.

She told BANG Showbiz: "I don't know if you listen to country music but I want to work with Seymour Stein - he was the co-founder of Sire Records - and I've always wanted to work with him. So I figure while I've still got teeth in my mouth let me go work with him!

"I want to record all those songs I used to sing my guts out in my apartment to!"