Taylor Dayne has plenty of reasons to celebrate.
The pop star, known for the ’80s hit “Tell It to My Heart,” has been keeping busy gearing up for her first Las Vegas residency at Harrah’s Las Vegas.
The Grammy-nominated artist, who announced in 2022 that she’d privately battled stage 2 colon cancer, said she’s been given the all-clear and is ready to party with her fans.
TAYLOR DAYNE RECALLS FINDING FAME WITH ‘80S HIT ‘TELL IT TO MY HEART’: ‘I WAS PRAYING TO GET SIGNED’
“I’ve been cancer-free for four years now,” she told Fox News Digital with a smile. “I’ve been on the path of being very ardent about taking care of my health and being on top of my colonoscopies. There are no guarantees in life, but especially as women, we need to advocate for our health and be on top of our checkups.”
“I was already on top of my colonoscopies when I was told I had a lot of polyps,” the singer said. “It was through a routine checkup that they found a very aggressive polyp. This is how quickly these things can escalate and really take a turn. But my mindset was, ‘What do I do right now?’ I was very much in action mode.”
Dayne, who didn’t experience any symptoms before her diagnosis, stressed that routine screenings are essential.
“I was 50 years old, and they said, ‘Now’s the time to go in for this,'” Dayne, 64, said. “It’s not like that anymore, because of our food, our diets, what we’re exposed to daily. You really have to think about your timeline earlier than we’ve ever done. And we have such high-paced lifestyles. Most people are busy working, busy being parents, busy just being out there juggling. We can’t put our health on the sidelines.”
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults at average risk begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45, down from the previous recommendation of 50. People at increased risk, including some with a family history of colorectal cancer, may need to begin screening earlier.
“I thought it was a male-dominated disease, like prostate cancer,” she said. “I was like, ‘Colon?’ It wasn’t really resonating with me, and it certainly wasn’t resonating with anyone in my family. I learned from my experience, be your own warrior, be your champion. And that’s what I did. It started with me asking, ‘Why do I keep developing polyps?’ You have to be your own champion, your own voice in getting the information you need, the plan you need.”
Dayne said her experience also taught her the importance of speaking up early. She noted that advocating for oneself can be harder when seriously ill.
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“When you’re that ill, there’s very little that the person can do,” she explained. “Your advocate is usually your partner, your spouse, your best friend. But oftentimes, it’s just yourself. It made me realize a lot of things. And I’m so grateful, ever grateful. For me, it turned on a lightbulb, a desire to live, a desire to really push through things. And it’s brought a lot of love to my heart because I’ve met so many people I otherwise wouldn’t have met because we have so much in common now. Survivors.”
Dayne’s renewed focus on her health is also tied to her desire to be present for her children.
“Your kids don’t think of you as having a career,” she said. “They don’t think about your fame, your awards, the guest house. All they want is for their needs to be met. You’re just mom to them. I became a very different touring artist then. And touring was the largest component of my career. But I was a single parent. I raised them. I was then the mother bird who needed to always come back to her nest.”
Dayne follows a no-nonsense health regimen that helps her look and feel her best as she prepares for her Las Vegas residency.
“I’m very religious with my morning ritual, whatever my morning looks like, because my morning could be one o’clock in the afternoon, and it could be five in the morning,” she said. “I do my peptides. I do my collagen. I do my bone broth. I do copper for my skin. I want to be optimal. That takes stretching, Pilates, yoga, daily exercise. You have to take care of yourself spiritually, emotionally, mentally.”
“It’s a real juggle,” Dayne continued. “But the first moment you have in the morning, the first two minutes you have, should be centering yourself. And then I do my tinctures. I also like to have a big ol’ smoothie. I usually have just liquids in the morning. I also love soursop, especially when I travel. I have to have a healthy lifestyle to meet the demands of what it takes to be physically on stage every night.”
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Long before her health battle, Dayne experienced another life-changing moment — realizing just how quickly “Tell It to My Heart” had made her a star.
“I was in Munich preparing to make an appearance and I said, ‘What are all these people doing outside? Why is their hair crimped? Why do they have red lips? Oh my God, they look like me,'” Dayne recalled.
“It’s not overnight stardom because I spent 15, 16, 17 in every club conceivable in New York in the ’80s,” she said. “But when you have a single like that, the next thing you know, you’re on ‘Top of the Pops.’ I just knew my life would never be the same. I had no idea people would love my music so much, that they would want to look like me. Here we are, 39 years later.”
“I never said, ‘This is going to last forever,'” she said, reflecting on her fame. “How could you ever know? It was a moment. I was young, I was 22, 23. You just want to catch the wind.”
Nearly four decades into her career, Dayne sees her upcoming Las Vegas residency as a victory lap.
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“This is the cherry on top and recognizing that after three decades in this business, my music is still the soundtrack of so many people’s lives,” she said. “I am honored. My health, my wellness, my family, I am grateful for it all.”
Taylor Dayne’s “Tell It to My Heart” residency begins Nov. 24, with performances continuing through Jan. 2. Tickets are on sale now.
