Cyndi Lauper on Moving Grammys Performance with Kesha: 'Sisterhood Is a Powerful Thing'

"I think that I'm honored that they asked me to do it and of course I would," Cyndi Lauper told PEOPLE of taking the Grammys stage with Kesha

By

Lindsay Kimble

Published on January 29, 2018 02:35PM EST

Cyndi Lauper was proud to be a part of something “powerful” at the 60th annual Grammy Awards.

The 64-year-old took the stage with an array of other female singers clad in white to perform “Praying” with Kesha on Sunday. The emotional and powerful moment quickly went viral.

“Sisterhood is a powerful thing and it’s important to stand with each other,” Lauper told PEOPLE on the red carpet at Madison Square Garden before the show. “And it’s important when someone is brave enough to come out and tell their story, you know, to support her.”

She continued, “And I think that I’m honored that they asked me to do it and of course I would. Of course I would. It’s important.”

60th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals — John Shearer/Getty

Last August, Kesha released Rainbow, her first album in nearly five years. The acclaimed album earned the starlet two Grammy nominations at the 2018 show: best pop vocal album and best pop solo performance (for “Praying,” the lead single).

Rainbow‘s release was particularly triumphant for Kesha, who has been embroiled in a contentious lawsuit with longtime producer and label exec Dr. Luke (aka Lukasz Gottwald, 44) . In 2014, Kesha sued her former mentor, alleging he had drugged and raped her and verbally and emotionally abused her for a decade.

Luke has continually denied the allegations and countersued Kesha for breach of contract and defamation. In February 2016, Luke tweeted: “I didn’t rape Kesha and I have never had sex with her. Kesha and I were friends for many years and she was like my little sister.”

In 2016, a judge dismissed Kesha’s abuse claims, and the legal he-said-she-said has since been at a standstill.

Be sure to check out PEOPLE’s full Grammys coverage to get the latest news on music’s big night.

Lauper told PEOPLE she believes in the Time’s Up movement, an initiative and legal defense fund launched to help fight sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood and beyond.

“The Time’s Up movement is about equality in the workforce,” said Lauper, adding, “Equality of power would change everything.”

She continued, “It would make it a safer place for people to work, not just for women but for men too.”

To donate to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, which will provide subsidized legal support to women and men in all industries who have experienced sexual harassment, assault, or abuse in the workplace, visit its GoFundMe page. Learn more about Time’s Up, an organization of women in entertainment combating sexual harassment and inequality, on its website.

The 60th annual Grammy Awards, hosted by James Corden, were broadcast live on CBS from Madison Square Garden in New York City.