David Byrne

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David Byrne
Byrne in April 2018
Born (1952-05-14) 14 May 1952 (age 72)
Dumbarton, Scotland
Citizenship
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Ireland
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
  • record producer
  • music theorist
  • visual artist
  • actor
  • writer
  • filmmaker
Years active1971–present
Spouse
(m. 1987; div. 2004)
Children1
Musical career
OriginArbutus, Maryland, U.S.
Genres
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Labels
Websitedavidbyrne.com
Signature

David Byrne (/bɜːrn/; born May 14, 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist, and filmmaker, who is well known as the founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of Talking Heads.

Byrne has released solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography, opera, fiction, and non-fiction. He has received an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, a Special Tony Award, and a Golden Globe Award, and he is an inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Talking Heads.

Early life and education

On May 14, 1952, David Byrne was born to parents Emma and Tom Byrne in Dumbarton, Scotland. The family moved to Hamilton, Ontario when he was 2 years old, and while there his sister Celia was born. Around the age of 9, his family moved to Arbutus, near Baltimore, Maryland in the US.

Following the move to Maryland, Byrne still had had his thick Scottish accent, which lead to feelings of being an outsider.[1]

Early music career

Talking Heads

Solo career

Personal Life

Political Activism

In 2024, Byrne travelled to Washington, D.C. to lobby for the American Music Fairness Act, which Byrne argues would allow musicians to get paid for radio play. Byrne discussed his reasoning and visit in an opinion piece published in USA Today.[2]

Discography

Filmography

Other projects

  1. Cooper, Anderson. “David Byrne on Talking Heads and Following His Own Beat.” Www.cbsnews.com, 5 Mar. 2023, www.cbsnews.com/news/david-byrne-60-minutes-2023-03-05/.
  2. Byrne, David. “David Byrne: Why Radio Should Pay Singers like Beyoncé and Willie Nelson.” USA TODAY, 8 July 2024, www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2024/07/08/beyonce-willie-nelson-pink-rihanna-radio-songs-david-byrne/74284981007/. Accessed 11 July 2024.