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Taylor Dayne, the three-time Grammy nominee who has sold over 75 million records, is coming to the Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall on March 9 where she’ll play her top-10 smash hits like “Tell it To My Heart” and “Love Will Lead You Back” among newer releases. However, Taylor Dayne: The Love Me Tour is much more than a celebration of her 35-plus-year career in the music industry. For her, standing on stage has become a distinct opportunity to embrace happiness and gratefulness.
“I’m touring because I can. Because I have something to say” To Dayne, the Love Me Tour is a representation of making it through a colon cancer diagnosis she received at the end of 2022. Rapidly, she had to advocate for her testing and treatment. She is proudly cancer-free after having about fifteen inches of her colon removed in a partial colectomy. “Early detection saved my life. Now, fighting for that, talking about it, I didn’t know this was a platform for so many people.”
Her recovery process was brutal, but has overwhelmingly shifted her own personal outlook. “Through that recovery though, the challenges and choices, I found my warrior girl again inside of me.” People who know Dayne best from her hits, crimped, wild lioness-like hair, and 80s glam will now discover an artist filled with gratitude. “You cannot get through something like this and not be changed and humbled, and also so grateful for every day you get to take another breath.” Dayne pointed out Celine Dion saying, “I’m so happy to be here” during her recent appearance presenting the Album of the Year Grammy Award as a real source of strength.
Dayne clarifies the name of the tour isn’t commanding her audience to adore her, “It’s Love Me, love you, love yourself. It’s all about empowerment. That’s where I really think you find, in my music, in me, taking something back if you feel like you’ve lost it or it was taken from you.” During recovery, she recorded more music and even achieved a Number One Dance Chart placement for a 2023 revamp of “Tell It To My Heart” with electronic music trio Cash Cash. Fans were a major support system in getting her through recovery. “I sat very vulnerable in front of audiences with a PICC line in and sang. And I’ve never felt closer, more supported, and more loved,” said Dayne, “More than that, people shared too. It was something we could share together.”
Accepting this vulnerable side has had an influence on the songs she has chosen to release this year. These include her renditions of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” and Selena Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me”. Speaking on the latter (originally released in 2020), Dayne didn’t view it as a song about a romantic relationship, but instead “it’s about a relationship with myself”.
She is honored herself, especially during her breakthrough in 1987 with her “St. Mark’s look” that was indicative of New York at the time, and her music have been welcomed by the LGBTQ+ community. “I never asked for anything, your audience was so receptive.” Her primarily creative team around her became her tribe. “My tribe ended up becoming part of my family. For 35 years, I’ve watched a community and an entire culture grow”. She reminisced about traveling the world over the years and watching Pride celebrations grow from hundreds of people to tens of thousands.
In 2010, she performed “Facing a Miracle”, the official theme of the Gay Games, in Cologne, Germany for 50,000 people. “To be there with all those people screaming for the Gay Games was enormous,” Dayne said, “Art is where we all come together.” In 2022, Taylor Dayne competed on Season 2 of Secret Celebrity Drag Race and last year “Tell it to My Heart” was used (for the second time) on Season 15 of Rupaul’s Drag Race in a lip sync for your life between Mistress Isabelle Brooks and Jax. Dayne agreed that her current philosophy of self-love echoes Rupaul’s own, “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else”.
However, Dayne isn’t trying to spend too much time reminiscing and prefers to live in the moment. Recently, she headlined Orpheuscapade in New Orleans with Harry Connick Jr. and Neil Patrick Haris for Mardi Gras. “I’m living in the moment.” she said, “and that’s what keeps filling my soul. That to me is the best way to live.” She loves the strength of Pittsburgh’s cultural identity. “Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh,” she said, “I’m so looking forward to being there.”
She is open to the excitement of future possibilities. Back in 2001, Dayne took over for a leading role on Broadway in AIDA. When asked about her interest in coming back to Broadway she said, “Of course! Right role, right timing, sure!” She enjoyed jukebox-style shows like On Your Feet! The Musical – The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan. On what her dream role or show would be, she replied, “Maybe it’s ‘Tell it to My Heart’ and it hasn’t been written yet!”
Dayne is focused on elevating the quality of her life to be just as important as her work in what she calls “loving me moments”. “I want to look out the window and love what I see everyday. I want it to be invigorating and rejuvenating and fill my soul.” One of her favorite things? Putting her feet in the sand.
Currently, she is serving as an ambassador for Fit for Cure and Wacoal, advocating for cancer awareness and education. “Obviously if I didn’t have something to share with them before, apart from my music and voice, I sure have more to say now.” A warrior girl refreshed by passion and gratitude. That’s Taylor Dayne now.
Taylor Dayne’s Love Me Tour is on March 9th at the Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall.
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