New York-native Taylor Dayne is diverging from her tour route with Swedish pop-rock group Roxette for a hometown show on Long Island.
On Sept. 17 at 8 p.m., the three-time-grammy-nominated, multi-genre-spanning American music icon will hit The Suffolk stage (118 E. Main St., Riverhead, 631-727-4343), bringing her hits back to the place that inspired them.
“When I’m coming back home, I see my sisters, I see my brothers, I see my people and I understand them,” says Dayne. “Just being out there on Long Island, I’m like ‘My God, you were my story.’”
Earlier this year, Dayne and her friend Celeste Fierro opened Saylor Beach House (111 Main St., Greenport, 631-477-0627) establishing more permanent roots on Long Island.
Dayne was born in New York City and moved to Baldwin, then Freeport, before she turned 5 years old.
She described her home life as “not very privileged,” but music, the arts and a broad way of thinking were always at the center of it. Songs wafted through the apartment buildings she lived in while her parents were collecting records from emerging artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Crosby, Stills & Nash. At the community pool, Dayne listened to teenagers’ transistor radios playing the top 40 and was inspired to explore the arts for herself.
“I felt like music could save my life,” says Dayne. “If I could really, really practice and really start sounding like the person that’s singing this song called My Cherie Amour, what couldn’t I do?”
In her book Tell It To My Heart: How I Lost My S#*T, Conquered my Fear and Found My Voice, Dayne details the dark side of her upbringing, having an explosive, angry father who she later reconciled with.
When a chorus teacher noticed her talent at nine years old, music truly became Dayne’s lifeline.
“I started standing out and getting that feeling of being worthy of something,” says Dayne.
The diversity of Dayne’s hometown and her parents’ continuous encouragement (thanks to their long-standing love of music and the family’s proximity to New York City, where Dayne rehearsed in studios that were once used by Joan Jett and Pat Benatar) fostered her voice and ability.
Now when the opportunity arises, she brings her over three decades of experience back to the state that inspired her, considering herself a “New York girl.”
With 17 top 20 singles, selling over 75 million albums and singles, receiving an American Music Award and honors from the New York Music Hall of Fame, her pop, dance, R&B, contemporary and rock-influenced performance is not to be missed.
And despite a long discography of songs, Dayne’s hits like “I’ll Be Your Shelter,” “Love Will Lead You Back,” and “Tell It To My Heart” remain her favorites to perform.
“Everyone kind of goes into a delirious place together,” says Dayne. “People are just holding their hearts singing at the top of their lungs.”
As a musician who has stood the test of time, Dayne has seen the evolution of music consumption over the years.“If you can honestly be present and be that conscious, that’s the joy of it all,” says Dayne.
Get tickets for Dayne’s Sept. 17 show at The Suffolk here, priced at $65 to $135 before fees.
