Taylor Dayne packs ‘heart and love’ into Vegas shows

That deep, diva voice hasn’t changed a bit after all these years of pop stardom. But it’s not all that Taylor Dayne brings to the stage.

“Listen, I’ve had many life challenges. I’ve lived through cancer. I’ve lived through menopause and a hysterectomy,” the “Tell It to My Heart” singer says. “Is there wisdom? Of course, there is. As a woman who wants to continually age in a time where people might not want you to stay in the game, you just say, ‘Who gives a s—-’ and do it anyways. That’s also wisdom!”

To that end, the 64-year-old Dayne is preparing to launch her own residency, running Nov. 24 to Jan. 2 at Harrah’s Las Vegas.

“I believe that once a year, you need to really challenge yourself,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a singer, a mother or a business person. You need to find that next ‘it’ for you. You have to really pull. Stretch yourself. Test yourself. Get creative again.”

Dayne, who lives in Santa Barbara, California, shared her other good life advice:

‘Heart and love’

Asked what fans can expect from her in Vegas, Dayne doesn’t miss a beat. “A soundtrack of your life,” she says. “It’s my music, so I can tell you that you will have ‘Tell It to My Heart’ and ‘Love Will Lead You Back.’ There will be ‘Prove Your Love’ and ‘Can’t Get Enough of Your Love.’ There is a lot of heart and love,” she says.

Challenge yourself

Dayne says she “trains like an athlete for her shows. … For me it has always been about the performance and the raw energy,” she adds. “I guess it has always been ferocious for me. People will say, ‘You came out with “Tell It to My Heart” and then the energy just went up.’ That’s just me.”

Wait for it

Dayne says Las Vegas was always in the back of her mind. “Listen, I’ve been wanting this for years,” she says. “I broke in 1988. Vegas was a real tough call right then, but I was in Vegas on and off in the late ’80s and the ’90s. … I think when you had Celine Dion take over Caesars, there was a real merge between production and artistry in Vegas. It became a no-brainer for me to want to be here. Now, there is a flood of performers making Las Vegas a new Broadway. It’s the epicenter.”

Tell it to your heart

Dayne acknowledges that her heart still pounds when she’s in the wings waiting for her show to begin. “I always get nervous,” she says. “What I love is that every show is different. Every night is new. I do get that thrill when I walk out. … It’s you and the audience participating in this dance. It’s sometimes aerobic, sometimes melodic and poetic. I get very tearful at times.”

Know what you want

“At 4 years old, I knew I wanted to be a rock star!” she says. Why was music so important? “Because I grew up in apartment buildings, and music was playing whenever I can remember. Through all these windows and walls, it was all music. … I listened to Joni Mitchell and Tina Turner — it felt so fresh, new and wild.”

Look inward

“I love to meditate and shut it all down,” Dayne says. “’Me time’ is very important. I take it down, go inward and find the center.”