Keeping love alive with Taylor Dayne

MANILA, Philippines - International singer Taylor Dayne is excited that she is set to grace the Philippine concert stage after around 10 years. She and Edwin McCain (I’ll Be and I Couldn’t Ask For More) will have a back-to-back concert on May 30 at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu and at the SM MOA Arena in Manila on June 1. The concert is produced by Blue Dream Entertainment and CNCA Media Concepts, Inc.

Taylor and Edwin will have the King of Soul and R&B Jay-R as their special guest in the said concert.

In an interview, Jay-R expressed how excited, honored he is that he’ll share the stage with these two top-selling international acts, saying, “It will be awesome. To all romantics out there, this is one concert you shouldn’t miss.”

The STAR had an exclusive interview with Taylor, whose long list of hits include Love Will Lead You Back and Tell It To My Heart.  

 At what point in your life did you say that you wanted to be a singer?

“I was the little girl of five or six years old singing along the radio and emulating singers of the ’70s I truly loved — Karen Carpenter, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye. I was good at it and always knew I wanted to be a rock star. I then went into pop music with my first pop/dance song release of Tell It To My Heart in 1988. Prior to its release, I was in bands in New York City trying to make it in the industry.”

 Among your hit songs, what is closest to your heart?

 “I really have performed my greatest hits for almost 20 years most of them anyway, so for me, the greatest satisfaction is watching audiences react to songs and certain songs do it every time like Love Will Lead You Back, Shelter, Prove Your Love, Tell It and I’ll Always Love You. Performing live to an audience singing along is the most fun.”

 Singing the same songs over and over again can be tiring sometimes, especially when you travel. How do you keep it fresh?

“Again, as in the question before, when you tour every night, your audience changes. Some nights, I put in a different song, add something new, but really it’s the energy of the audience that makes it new and fresh.”

You’ve done some films and TV appearances, what was it like for you when you first tried the genre?

“I’ve been making films and TV appearances for the last 15 years. My first film credit was in Love Affair, directed by Warren Beatty and with Annette Bening as lead actress. From there, I starred in numerous films and did TV guest starring roles. My latest film project will be in the independent film festivals this year, Telling of the Shoes.”

Do you have family members traveling with you in concerts? Do they get to perform with you too?

“My kids are nine years old and they love to dance and sing, but not yet, although my son Levi has jumped on stage many a time and danced along.”

What are you currently working on in terms of your music?

“I released and scored my 18th Top 10 Billboard hit with Floor On Fire in September. I’m now back in the studio and working on my re-release of my greatest hits with three new songs. I’m also currently starring in a new series on the food network Celebrity Cook Off  Rachel Ray vs Guy Fieri.”

 Who do you look up too as a musician and why?

“Prince, Neil Young, Elton John, Aerosmith, Willie, Nelson because of their attitude, live performance ability, and of course, their catalogue of great music.”

 You look fabulous at 49, how do you maintain the way you look today?

“Wow, thank you! I try. Some days are better than others. Food, diet, sleep, exercise with great attitude and love. Some days are harder than others. Work on staying positive.”