Talking with Taylor Dayne

Daniel Fisher: Once again, you are doing a few gay pride shows soon. How do these shows differ from your other shows?

Taylor Dayne: (Laughs) Well, it’s a sea of men generally! Anytime you do a gay pride you just know that it’s going to be a lot of fun, a lot of energy, a lot of loyal fans. They are always highlights.

D: What has the gay community meant to your career over the years?

T: At this point, I know I’ve said this many times, they are the loyalist fans an artist can have. As you can [see], 22 years later I’m still playing gay pride, and they are truly the most loyal audience and most fun.

D: You shot a spot on being bullied and how you were bullied when you were young. How did that come about?

T: It was important to share that because it wasn’t just a six-month period, this went on for years. It makes you scared to go to school, makes you scared to participate in anything. Eventually it broke through. I’m sure everyone has a story they can relate to the experience. I hope it helped some people.

D: You went to Germany and sang the anthem for the Gay Games – “Facing a Miracle” – in front of 25,000 people. What was that like?

T: These are athletes from all over the world, and it happens every four years. It took place in Cologne, and it was wow! You can pull it up on YouTube, and it was amazing. It was huge and amazing.

D: You have a new song coming out called “Right Time.”

T: It’s a song I wrote with Macho Psycho in Sweden, and I’m working with Mike Rizzo to put the final touches on it. We are looking for a summer release.

D: You just finished a movie, “Telling of the Shoes.” Can you tell us about your character in that?

T: It’s an independent film. It takes place in one location over the course of one evening, where six friends get together. A lot of drinking ensues and a couple secrets are revealed that have a huge impact on the group.

D: What artists do you like at the moment?

T: There is some great stuff going on now. I love Usher’s latest record, Beyonce, Britney – all the pop artists are doing great. Gaga to Katy Perry, they are just great pop songs from great pop artists.

D: You’ve been performing “Tell It To My Heart” for more than 20 years now. Is it still fun to perform?

T: Oh, yeah! I don’t perform it for me; the audience loves it. It’s great!

D: If you could go back 20 years and tell the younger Taylor something, what would you say?

T: Hmm. The best advice is listen more, talk less.

Taylor Dayne plans to release a greatest hits album later this year. Visit her website at TaylorDayne.com.