Cyndi Lauper Says Rod Stewart's 'Always Been a True Friend' as They Pose Backstage on Tour (Exclusive)

"It feels so good to be touring again, and I'm happy to be doing it with Rod and his crew," Lauper tells PEOPLE amid the pair's Australian and New Zealand tour

Cyndi Lauper is having fun while on tour with Rod Stewart in Australia and New Zealand.

The "Time After Time" musician posed alongside the British singer-songwriter backstage at one of their recent shows for a photo shared exclusively with PEOPLE — shortly after Stewart rescheduled one of their concerts due to a "viral infection."

"Rod has always been a true friend and supporter throughout my career. We've shared some incredible moments on and off the stage, from performing at Madison Square Garden to our current tour dates in Australia and New Zealand," Lauper, 69, tells PEOPLE in a statement.

The tour marks her third with the "Maggie May" performer, 78, as well as her first since the pandemic. "It feels so good to be touring again, and I'm happy to be doing it with Rod and his crew," she says.

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While the string of shows has been successful for the two performers, they faced a bump in the road earlier this month when Stewart had to cancel their performance at A Day on the Green, a food, wine and music festival in Victoria, Australia.

"Hello my friends," he wrote in a statement shared March 18. "I'm absolutely downhearted that I'm disappointing my fans who bought tickets to A Day on the Green. Late this morning I was advised that I have a viral infection and my throat is too irritated to sing."

"I'm only human and sometimes get sick just like you do. My greatest joy is performing for you, so I'm doing everything I can to get on the mend and back on stage!" added Stewart.

Both musicians have spent decades on the road, and Lauper is familiar with how difficult it can be to perform while ill. "As a singer, when we get sick or get a cold, we can't sing. It's that simple," she says, noting that she offered Stewart some support. "I wasn't worried. I sent him some homeopathic remedies."

Related:Rod Stewart Cancels Australia Concert Due to 'Viral Infection': 'I'm Only Human'

Aside from the ongoing tour, the "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" singer recently performed at the 2023 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song concert honoring Joni Mitchell, which went down on March 1 and aired Friday on PBS. Other performers included Graham Nash, Ledisi, Herbie Hancock, James Taylor, Marcus Mumford, Angélique Kidjo and Brandi Carlile.

Looking forward, Lauper's nominated for a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2023 alongside artists including George Michael, Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow and Kate Bush.

"I'm incredibly grateful and humbled to be nominated," she says. "I've always followed my own path as a musician and to be recognized by the Rock Hall is a dream come true."

"If I'm inducted, I'll savor the moment and celebrate with my friends and family, but then it's back to work! I have a musical to finish and some big plans to tell you more about soon," adds Lauper, who's currently working on the music and lyrics for Working Girl the Musical, an adaptation of the 1988 film of the same name.

Lauper and Stewart's tour wraps April 9 in Auckland, New Zealand.

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