Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wunderman; March 7, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame in 1987 after her debut single " Tell It to My Heart". Dayne achieved six additional U.S. top-10 singles, including "

Love Will Lead You Back "Love Will Lead You Back" is a song recorded by American singer Taylor Dayne for her second studio album, '' Can't Fight Fate'' (1989). Written by Diane Warren and produced by Ric Wake, the song was released on January 20, 1990, by Arista Records ...

With Every Beat of My Heart "With Every Beat of My Heart" is a song recorded by American singer Taylor Dayne for her second studio album '' Can't Fight Fate'' (1989), which reached the Top 5 position on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Released on October 10, 1989, the song writte ...

, "

Prove Your Love "Prove Your Love" is a song recorded by American singer Taylor Dayne for her debut studio album '' Tell It to My Heart'' (1988). Written by Seth Swirsky and Arnie Roman, and produced by Ric Wake, the song was released in 1988 as the album's second ...

", and " I'll Always Love You". Dayne has received two

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

nominations, and has won an American Music Award, and multiple New York Music Awards. She has also received New York Hall of Fame honors and was ranked number 18 on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

s list of the best female dance artists of all time. In December 2016, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' magazine ranked her the 28th most successful dance artist of all time.

Singing and acting career

Early success

Taylor Dayne, whose birth name is Leslie Wunderman, was born in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States, and lived briefly in another borough,

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

, until her family moved to

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...

when she was two years old. She began singing professionally after graduating from high school in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York, singing in little-known rock bands such as ''Felony'' and ''Next''. She began singing solo after finishing college and, under the name ''Les Lee'', recorded two

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

singles, "I'm The One You Want" (1985) and "Tell Me Can You Love Me" (1986), which were released on New York indie label ''Mega Bol''t. Signed to

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertain ...

as Taylor Dayne, her first song to crack the top ten was the

dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...

hit " Tell It to My Heart" in late 1987. The song was an instant smash worldwide, peaking in the top five of most major markets worldwide, and reaching number one in many countries, including West Germany. Six more U.S. top-ten hits followed, including "

", " I'll Always Love You", " Don't Rush Me", "

", "

" and "

I'll Be Your Shelter "I'll Be Your Shelter" is a song by American singer Taylor Dayne from her second studio album, '' Can't Fight Fate'' (1989). Written by Diane Warren and produced by Ric Wake, the song was released on March 20, 1990, by Arista Records as the third ...

". These were followed by the No. 12 hit " Heart of Stone". In the United States, she achieved three

gold single Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

s, "Tell It to My Heart", "I'll Always Love You", and "Love Will Lead You Back". "I'll Always Love You", a change-of-pace ballad compared to Dayne's earlier releases, was her breakout hit on the

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

charts in 1988 and paved the way for future uptempo dance tracks such as "Don't Rush Me" (1988) and "With Every Beat Of My Heart" (1989) to gain acceptance on Adult Contemporary radio. In 1990, "Love Will Lead You Back", a

Diane Warren Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is an American songwriter. She has received several awards including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three ''Billboard'' Music Awards and an Honorary Academy Award. Wa ...

composition, peaked at No. 1 on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. The string of hits from her first two albums, '' Tell It to My Heart'' (1988) and '' Can't Fight Fate'' (1989), proved to be the peak of her career. She went on to release two more albums in the 1990s, but had only one more U.S. Top 40 hit, her 1993 cover of Barry White's 1974 hit " Can't Get Enough of Your Love" (from her 1993 album ''

Soul Dancing ''Soul Dancing'' is the third album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Dayne. It was released in 1993 on Arista Records and peaked at No. 51 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. The album includes the singles "Send Me a Lover", "I'll Wait", "Say a Pr ...

''), which reached No. 2 in the

ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

in Australia but only No. 20 in the U.S. Together with Arthur Baker and Fred Zarr, Dayne wrote " Whatever You Want" for

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...

's 1996 album '' Wildest Dreams.'' Dayne later recorded and released the song herself in 1998 as a single from her album '' Naked Without You.'' That album failed to chart, but Dayne continued to have hits on the dance charts into the 2000s.

Later singing and acting career

As an actress, Dayne appeared in the 1997 sci-fi

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

'' Nightman'' as Carla Day. She has had roles in independent films such as ''Fool's Paradise'' (1997), ''Stag'' (also in 1997) and ''Jesus the Driver'' (2004), as well as the

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...

-produced 1994 remake of '' Love Affair.'' Dayne also had a recurring role on the Showtime series '' Rude Awakening.'' Dayne has performed alongside Marc Bonilla and Dragonchoir. She performed on Broadway in Elton John's '' Aida'' in 2001. In 2005, Dayne was featured in the VH1 series ''Remaking'', which featured her close friends Leah Remini and Michelle Reid. The series documents Dayne's return to music after taking time off to have a family (she has twins via a

surrogate mother Surrogacy is an arrangement, often supported by a legal agreement, whereby a woman agrees to delivery/labour for another person or people, who will become the child's parent(s) after birth. People may seek a surrogacy arrangement when pregnan ...

), and premiered her newest song, "Right Now", a result of her collaboration with

Rodney Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...

On December 11, 2007, Dayne released the first single, " Beautiful", from her studio album '' Satisfied''. The song was written by Dayne and Hitesh Ceon of production team 3Elementz. Dayne promoted it on many radio stations, including New York's WKTU. "Beautiful" went to No. 1 on the ''

'' Dance Charts. She also appeared on ''

The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It ...

'', '' Chelsea Lately'', ''

Wake Up With Whoopi ''Wake Up with Whoopi'' was a morning radio show that aired on various stations in the United States from July 31, 2006 until March 28, 2008. Whoopi Goldberg was the host of the program. The show was syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks out of Ne ...

'' and VH1. The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

for the single and the ''Satisfied'' album cover were shot by Tony Duran, who has also shot album covers for

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

and

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series '' In Living Color'', where she re ...

. Dayne released her fifth album, '' Satisfied'', in February 2008—her first

recording studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enou ...

album in nearly a decade. The album includes both new material and recreations of some of her favorite contemporary songs. In 2008, Dayne performed at the Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. In May 2010, Dayne lobbied congressional leaders on

Capitol Hill Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...

on behalf of NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) and VH1's Save The Music Foundation to reduce cuts in music education in America's schools. In July 2010, Dayne released " Facing a Miracle", the official theme song to the

2010 Gay Games The 2010 Gay Games (Gay Games VIII) were an international multi-sport event and cultural gathering organized by, and specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) athletes, artists and musicians. It was held from July 31 to Au ...

. She performed the song to an audience of 50,000 on July 31, 2010, in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

. It ended the year at No. 9 on Perfect Beat's Top Worldwide Singles of 2010. Five years before, however, she had said: "In the eyes of the

Kabbalah Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and Jewish theology, school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "rece ...

, ayscan't be 'married.' That requires actual male and female energy and DNA. In the bigger picture, I think that 'marriage' is about a certain circuitry. I'm as married to my business manager as I would be any husband." Dayne remastered her ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

'' album. She released a new single, "Floor on Fire", on June 22, 2011, which broke the ''Billboard'' Dance/Club Charts Top 10. In 2011-2012 Dayne competed in '' Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off'', reaching the semifinal round in episode 5 facing off against Lou Diamond Phillips for the final spot to represent Team Rachael. At the end of the episode she lost to Joey Fatone in a runner-up challenge to win $5,000 for charity. In the early 2010s, American stand-up comedian Tig Notaro began referencing Dayne in her routine, telling stories of having frequent encounters with her. This was ultimately brought to the attention of Ira Glass, who enlisted Notaro to tell the story as part of a live event for ''

This American Life ''This American Life'' (''TAL'') is an American monthly hour-long radio program produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internati ...

''. Dayne herself appeared at the end of the monologue during the event, singing " I'll Always Love You". In September 2014, Dayne released a new single, "Dreaming". In late 2020, Dayne competed on season 4 of '' The Masked Singer'' as "Popcorn". She made it to the semi-finals of the competition before being unmasked in a triple elimination alongside

Chloe Kim Chloe Kim (born April 23, 2000) is an American snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, she became the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal when she won gold in the women's snowboard halfpi ...

as "Jellyfish" and Tori Kelly as "Seahorse". In August 2022, Dayne competed on season 2 of RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race under the drag name Electra Owl.

Personal life

Dayne has never married. She has two children (twins Astaria and Levi), who were born via a

surrogate A surrogate is a substitute or deputy for another person in a specific role and may refer to: Relationships * Surrogacy, an arrangement where a woman agrees to carry and give birth to a child for another person who will become its parent at bir ...

in 2003. Dayne is a supporter of

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

, and stated in 2014 that she considers the

LGBT community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a common culture and so ...

to be her most loyal fanbase. Dayne is

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. She grew up in Baldwin and

Freeport, New York Freeport is a village in the town of Hempstead, in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York state. The population was 43,713 at the 2010 census, making it the second largest village in New York by population. A settlem ...

, on

. In 2021, after performing at a

New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system ...

party hosted at Mar-a-Lago by then

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

, Dayne declared "I try to stay non-political."

Discography

;Studio albums * '' Tell It to My Heart'' (1988) * '' Can't Fight Fate'' (1989) * ''

'' (1993) * '' Naked Without You'' (1998) * '' Satisfied'' (2008)

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dayne, Taylor 1962 births 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers Activists from New York (state) American dance musicians American women pop singers American women singer-songwriters American freestyle musicians American house musicians Dance-pop musicians Arista Records artists LGBT rights activists from the United States Living people Musicians from the New York metropolitan area Participants in American reality television series People from Baldwin, Nassau County, New York Singer-songwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women singers People from Freeport, New York Jewish singers Jewish American musicians