“I Was Totally Blind” — Dan Reynolds Reveals the Shocking Phone Call from Tyler Glenn That Sparked the LoveLoud Festival and Raised Over $1 Million

When Dan Reynolds, frontman of Imagine Dragons, launched the LoveLoud Festival, it wasn’t just another music event — it was the beginning of a movement. Designed to create dialogue between religious communities and LGBTQ+ youth, LoveLoud has since raised millions for charities like The Trevor Project and GLAAD. But according to Reynolds, it all started with a phone call that left him shaken — and changed his life forever.

“I was totally blind,” Reynolds admitted. “Until that call, I didn’t realize how much silence could hurt someone you love.”

📞 The Call That Changed Everything

The call came from Tyler Glenn, lead singer of Neon Trees and one of Reynolds’s oldest friends. Both artists grew up in Utah within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When Glenn came out as gay in 2014, his openness challenged both his faith and the people around him — including Reynolds.

“Tyler called me out — and he was right,” Reynolds said. “He said, ‘You say you love everyone, but you don’t speak up for us. Do you know what that silence does?’”

For Reynolds, the words landed like a wake-up call.

“I thought I was being loving by staying neutral,” he admitted. “But neutrality isn’t love — it’s avoidance. Tyler made me see that real love requires action.”

That late-night conversation, full of honesty and pain, planted the seed for what would become LoveLoud — a space where faith, family, and LGBTQ+ acceptance could coexist.

🎶 “I Had to Use My Voice”

In 2017, Reynolds decided to act. Using his platform as one of the world’s most recognizable rock singers, he organized the first LoveLoud Festival in Orem, Utah. More than 17,000 people attended, and the event raised over $1 million for LGBTQ+ organizations.

“I couldn’t stay silent anymore,” Reynolds said. “Music gave me a voice — but it means nothing if I don’t use it for something that truly matters.”

He described the festival’s debut as one of the most emotional nights of his life.

“I looked out and saw parents hugging their gay children, kids crying because they finally felt safe,” he recalled. “That’s when I knew — this wasn’t about me or Imagine Dragons. It was about healing.”

🌈 A Mission Born From Empathy

Reynolds has long been open about the tension he felt between his religious upbringing and his belief in equality.

“I was taught to love everyone,” he said. “But no one ever explained what that looks like when someone’s reality doesn’t fit your beliefs.”

It was Tyler Glenn’s courage, Reynolds says, that helped him confront his blind spots.

“Tyler showed me bravery,” Reynolds reflected. “He risked everything to live authentically. The least I could do was stand beside him.”

Their friendship — tested, but strengthened — became the heart of the 2018 documentary Believer, which chronicled Reynolds’s journey to create LoveLoud and challenge stigma within faith communities.

“Some people called me a traitor to my faith,” he said. “But to me, faith without compassion is hollow. God doesn’t want division — He wants love.”

💖 “LoveLoud Saved Lives”

Since its launch, the LoveLoud Foundation has grown into a national platform for inclusion and suicide prevention. Reynolds says he’s received countless messages from families whose lives were changed by attending.

“A mom once told me her son wanted to end his life,” he recalled. “After coming to LoveLoud, he told her he wanted to stay. That’s when I realized — this movement is literally saving lives.”

To Reynolds, that’s the true measure of success — not ticket sales or headlines, but human connection.

“If even one person feels less alone, it’s worth everything,” he said.

🔦 “Silence Is the Enemy of Love”

Now in his late thirties, Reynolds says the journey has made him a better artist, ally, and father.

“I’m still learning,” he admitted. “But I know now that love without action isn’t love at all. Silence is the enemy of love. If you see someone hurting and say nothing, you’re part of the problem.”

✨ From Blindness to Clarity

Reflecting on that pivotal phone call from Tyler Glenn, Reynolds says it remains the defining moment of his life.

“I was totally blind — but now I see,” he said. “Tyler didn’t just wake me up — he changed the course of my life.”

Years later, LoveLoud continues to thrive — a living reminder that compassion, courage, and conversation can turn pain into purpose.

“At its core,” Reynolds said, “LoveLoud isn’t just a festival. It’s proof that when you open your heart — truly open it — you can change the world.”