A Bite of David Byrne 🍪
The “Creative Chameleon” who pioneered new wave and got us all to dance
Monday Bites are bite-sized musician spotlights & playlists by Grace Lilly.
Enjoying the series? Support here to keep the good stuff coming 😊
🏆 A top-read post
• 3 min read •
It’s not easy
Describing David Byrne is inherently hard because of all he’s accomplished (and is still accomplishing). Most people know him as the frontman of Talking Heads, the hugely influential new wave band that’s considered a cornerstone of classic rock.
Even if his career had stopped there, his impact on culture would be astounding. But he kept going, distinguishing himself as one of the most prolific creative minds in history.
Fans describe him as a creative genius (a term that makes him uncomfortable, but seems to be accurate). Since he broke onto the music scene in the 1970s, he’s been creating non-stop.
Outside of his work with Talking Heads and his solo music career, David Byrne has also written and directed movies, created immersive theater experiences, worked with neuroscientists and policymakers, authored books, composed scores for opera and ballet, transformed a building into a playable instrument, exhibited his photography and illustrations in galleries and museums, and created a Broadway show that many critics called “one of the best live shows ever.”
He’s received award after award, and somehow, against all odds, he seems remarkably down to earth. Interested more in creating and bringing people together than receiving accolades, he has the rare attribute of being wildly talented without having a big ego.
Instead of isolating himself in a rarefied stratosphere of talent, Byrne’ magic is in his ability to recognize and put into practice the connective power of art and music.
“You create a community with music, not just at concerts but by talking about it with your friends.”
That’s what I’m trying to do here, to create community around music, to connect by opening up — letting each other into our minds, talking about the music that shapes who we are, being vulnerable about our past and earnest about our hopes & dreams. All the stuff that sounds soft but is actually hard.
It feels good to know that if you’re here reading this, we probably share that goal. And I’d like to think Byrne would approve.
David Byrne
The basics
🤝 Scottish-American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker
🤝 b. 1952 (Dumbarton, Scotland)
🤝 Known for his adventurous experimentation and collaboration
Why you should know him: Through his unique blend of music, art, and performance, Byrne inspires artists to explore diverse musical styles and redefine what a live show can be; he also pioneered the new wave music scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s with his band Talking Heads
If you like
✨ David Bowie
✨ Paul Simon
Known for
🏆 Being the founding member, lead singer, principal songwriter, and guitarist of the band Talking Heads
🏆 His eclectic, original sound that blends punk, art rock, and world music
🏆 His live shows, signature dance moves, and creative Talking Heads music videos
🏆 Receiving an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Special Tony Award
🏆 In addition to music, working in film, theater, fine art, fiction, and non-fiction
🏆 Living in New York city, riding his bicycle everywhere, and being an activist in support of increased cycling
Bite-sized facts
🍪 From ages 3 to 5, his parents said he constantly played his record player; learned how to play harmonica at 5
🍪 Initially grew up speaking with a Scottish accent but adopted an American one in order to fit in at school after moving to Maryland when he was 8
“I felt like a bit of an outsider. But then I realized the world was made up of people who were all different. But we're all here.”
🍪 Was rejected from choir in his middle school because he was “off-key and too withdrawn,” later started a band in high school called Revelation
🍪 Attended RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) for one year before dropping out; started a band called Bizadi, and then another called The Artistics (the latter with future Talking Heads drummer, Chris Frantz)
🍪 Moved to New York City when he was 21, worked as an usher in a movie theater on East 34th Street
🍪 Formed the new wave band Talking Heads at 23 years old with Frantz and his girlfriend, Tina Weymouth; Byrne was the youngest member
🍪 Played their first gig in 1975 while still working normal day jobs; got a record deal the following year; Jerry Harrison (previously of The Modern Lovers) joined the band in 1977
🍪 Broke through in 1977 with “Psycho Killer” off their debut album; later got their “first really big hit” in 1983 with “Burning Down the House”
🍪 Released 8 critically and commercially successful albums with the band (2 double-platinum, 4 gold)
🍪 Married costume designer Adelle Lutz in 1987 and had a daughter, Malu Abeni Valentine Byrne
🍪 At 37, launched his solo career while the band quietly went on hiatus; at 38, started the world music record label, Luaka Bop
🍪 For decades, has composed music for film, ballet, opera, Broadway, and theater pieces
🍪 In 2005, he started his own internet radio station, Radio David Byrne
🍪 In 2019, his album American Utopia became a hit Broadway show of the same name; in 2020, Spike Lee directed a film about it
🍪 Byrne is also a visual artist, his work has been shown in museums and art galleries since the 90s
“I came to New York to be a fine artist — that was my ambition.”
In film & TV
📺 Stop Making Sense (1984): Byrne starred in (and was responsible for the stage design & choreography) of this Talking Heads concert film; considered one of the greatest concert films of all time, preserved by the Library of Congress
📺 True Stories (1986): wrote, directed, and starred in this satirical musical comedy, also produced most of the film’s music
📺 The Last Emperor (1986): co-wrote the soundtrack to this film by Bernardo Bertolucci and won an Academy Award for Best Original Score
📺 Until the End of the World (1991): directed by Wim Wenders, features his Talking Heads song “Sax and Violins”
📺 The Simpsons (2003): guest starred as himself in season 14 episode 18, “Dude, Where’s My Ranch?”
📺 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010): with Brian Eno, made the soundtrack for the film
📺 Contemporary Color (2016): produced this documentary about two of his arena concerts in Brooklyn and Toronto
📺 Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022): co-wrote and provided vocals on the song “This Is a Life” for the soundtrack to this film; performed the song live at the 95th Academy Awards
Songs & dates
♫ 1977 “Psycho Killer” becomes Byrne’s first hit, off the Talking Heads’ debut album, Talking Heads: 77
♫ 1981 Releases his first collaborative album with Brian Eno, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts; praised for its early use of sampling and found sounds
♫ 1983 “Burning Down the House” peaks at No. 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100 from Talking Heads’ 5th studio album, Speaking in Tongues
♫ 1989 “Make Believe Mambo” reaches No. 11 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart off of Byrne’s first solo album, Rei Momo
♫ 1992 “She’s Mad” reaches No. 3 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart, from his third solo album, Uh-Oh
♫ 1995 Writes, produces, and sings the bilingual duet “God’s Child” with Latin superstar Selena; becomes the last song she recorded before she was murdered
♫ 2002 Co-writes and contributes vocals to the single “Lazy” by British house duo X-Press 2; reaches No. 2 on the UK singles chart
♫ 2012 Releases a collaborative album with St. Vincent, Love This Giant
♫ 2018 “Everybody’s Coming to My House” is the first single off his first solo album in 14 years, American Utopia; the tour was described as “the most ambitious and impressive live show of all time”
He said
⭐ “I wanted to be a secret agent and an astronaut, preferably at the same time.”
⭐ “To some extent I happily don’t know what I’m doing. I feel that it’s an artist’s responsibility to trust that.”
⭐ “I always think the everyday is more relevant than anything too grand because we all have to deal with it.”
⭐ “I resent the implication that I’m less of a musician and a worse person for not appreciating certain works.”
⭐ “With music, you often don’t have to translate it. It just affects you, and you don’t know why.”
⭐ “We don’t make music — it makes us.”
David Byrne Playlist
I gathered my fav Byrne songs, from me to you with love. Like & save on Spotify and listen all week 💗
Where to start
“Same as it ever was”
See why this music video for the Talking Heads’ single “Once in a Lifetime” was on heavy rotation on MTV.
〰️
“Playing the Building”
In 2008, Byrne and his production team turned the Battery Maritime Building (a 99-year-old ferry terminal in Manhattan) into a playable musical instrument, to allow people to experience art first hand, by creating music with the organ, rather than simply looking at it.
〰️
His iconic dance moves
After 40 years, this long-lost footage is finally available: watch David Byrne in his loft as he rehearses his dance moves for Talking Heads’ upcoming Speaking in Tongues tour. He recorded himself to decide which moves worked better than others, and later used some in the concert film, Stop Making Sense (1983).
〰️
Answering the web’s most-asked questions
David Byrne answers questions like “Why is David Byrne’s play called American Utopia?” and “Who introduced him to music?”
Down the rabbit hole
If you wanna dive even deeper:
American Utopia (2020)
Directed by Oscar and Emmy-winner Spike Lee, this concert film about David Byrne’s critically acclaimed Broadway show follows him and 11 other musicians, singers, and dancers from around the globe, inviting audiences into a joyous dreamworld where human connection, self-evolution, and social justice are paramount.
Watch on Max, Apple TV, Amazon, Youtube, or Google Play.
If you like this series ❤️
Each new person that chips in a little makes a huge difference in my ability to keep publishing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
x Grace
Show some love
If you enjoyed this post, “like” it & leave a comment! It makes me very happy 🥰
Learn more about me and my other projects: check out my personal newsletter, Weirdly Good <3
This is so excellent. Creating community forever!