David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a
Scottish-American
Scottish Americans or Scots Americans (Scottish Gaelic: ''Ameireaganaich Albannach''; sco, Scots-American) are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scotch-Irish Americans, d ...
singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American
new wave band
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talki ...](_blank)
.
Byrne has released solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography, opera, fiction, and non-fiction. He has received an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, a
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 ...
, a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
, 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
David Byrne was born on 14 May 1952 in
Dumbarton
Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990.
Dumbarton was the ca ...
,
Dunbartonshire
Dunbartonshire ( gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann) or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders Pe ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, the elder of two children born to Tom (from
Lambhill, Glasgow) and Emma Byrne. Byrne's father was Catholic and his mother Presbyterian. Two years after his birth, the family moved to Canada, settling in
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a Canada 2016 Census, population of 569,353, and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington, ...
. The family left Scotland in part because there were few jobs requiring his father's engineering skills and in part because of the tensions in the extended family caused by his parents' "
mixed marriage." When Byrne was eight or nine years old they moved to the United States, making their home in
Arbutus, Maryland
Arbutus is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 20,483 at the 2010 census. The census area also contains the communities of Halethorpe and Relay, in which all ...
. His father worked as an electronics engineer at
Westinghouse Electric Corporation
The Westinghouse Electric Corporation was an American manufacturing company founded in 1886 by George Westinghouse. It was originally named "Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company" and was renamed "Westinghouse Electric Corporation" in ...
. His mother later became a teacher.
Byrne stated that he initially grew up speaking with a Scottish accent but adopted an American one in order to fit in at school. He later recalled "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."
Before high school, Byrne already knew how to play the guitar, accordion, and violin. He was rejected from his
middle school
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
's choir because they claimed he was "off-
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
and too withdrawn". From a young age, he had a strong interest in music. His parents say that he would constantly play his
phonograph from age three and he learned how to play the harmonica at age five. His father used his electrical engineering skills to modify a
reel-to-reel tape recorder so that David could make
multitrack recordings.
Career
Early career: 1971–1974
![David Byrne of Talking Heads](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/David_Byrne_of_Talking_Heads.jpg)
Byrne graduated from
Lansdowne High School in southwest
Baltimore County
Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...
. He started his musical career in a high school band called Revelation, then between 1971 and 1972, he was one half of a duo named Bizadi with Marc Kehoe. Their repertoire consisted mostly of songs such as "
April Showers", "
96 Tears", "
Dancing on the Ceiling
''Dancing on the Ceiling'' is the third solo studio album by American singer Lionel Richie, released on July 15, 1986. The album was originally to be titled ''Say You, Say Me'', after the Academy Award-winning track of the same name, but it wa ...
" and
Frank Sinatra songs. Byrne attended the
Rhode Island School of Design
The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the ...
(during the 1970–71 term) and the
Maryland Institute College of Art
The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is a Private university, private art school, art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, making it one of t ...
(during the 1971–72 term) before dropping out. He returned to Providence in 1973 and formed a band called the Artistics with fellow
RISD student
Chris Frantz
Charton Christopher Frantz (born May 8, 1951) is an American musician and record producer. He is the drummer for both Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, both of which he co-founded with wife and Talking Heads bassist Tina Weymouth. In 2002, Frant ...
. The band dissolved in 1974. Byrne moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
in May that year, and in September of that year, Frantz and his girlfriend
Tina Weymouth
Martina Michèle Weymouth (born November 22, 1950) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and a founding member and bassist of the new wave group Talking Heads and its side project Tom Tom Club, which she co-founded with her husband, Tal ...
followed suit. After Byrne and Frantz were unable to find a bass player in New York for nearly two years, Weymouth learned to play the bass guitar. While working day jobs in late 1974, they were contemplating a band.
Talking Heads: 1975–1991
By January 1975, they were practicing and playing together, while still working normal day jobs. They founded the band
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talki ...](_blank)
and had their first gig in June. Byrne quit his day job in May 1976 and the three-piece band signed to
Sire Records
Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records.
History Beginnings
The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehre ...
in November. Byrne was the youngest member of the band. Multi-instrumentalist
Jerry Harrison
Jeremiah Griffin Harrison (born February 21, 1949) is an American songwriter, musician, producer, and entrepreneur. He began his professional music career as a member of the cult band the Modern Lovers before becoming keyboardist and guitarist ...
, previously of
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970 to 1974 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks w ...
, joined the band in 1977. The band released eight studio albums to great critical acclaim and commercial success. Four albums achieved gold status (500K sales) and two others were certified double-platinum (2 million in sales). The Talking Heads were pioneers of the new wave music scene in the late 70's / early 80's with popular and creative music videos on the fledgling MTV network. This success lasted until the band went into hiatus in 1988. Byrne desired to go solo, but it took three years until 1991 to announce that the band was breaking up. The band had a brief reunion for the single "
Sax and Violins" in 1991 before dissolving again. The band was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, where they reunited to play three tracks, including "
Psycho Killer
"Psycho Killer" is a song by the American band Talking Heads, released on their 1977 debut album '' Talking Heads: 77.'' The group first performed it as the Artistics in 1974.
The band also recorded an acoustic version of the song featuring A ...
" and "
Burning Down the House
"Burning Down the House" is a song by new wave band Talking Heads, released in July 1983 as the first single from their fifth studio album ''Speaking in Tongues''.
Inspiration and composition
"Burning Down the House" is a new wave and funk s ...
".
Solo album career: 1979–1981, 1989–present
During his time in the band, David Byrne took on outside projects, collaborating with
Brian Eno during 1979 and 1981 on the album ''
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts'', which attracted considerable critical acclaim due to its early use of analogue
sampling and
found sounds. Following this record, Byrne focused his attention on Talking Heads. ''My Life in the Bush of Ghosts'' was re-released for its 25th anniversary in early 2006, with new bonus tracks. In keeping with the spirit of the original album,
stems for two of the songs' component tracks were released under
Creative Commons licenses and a
remix contest website was launched.
''
Rei Momo
''Rei Momo'' is the debut solo album by David Byrne and second overall studio album (after the 1981 collaborative album '' My Life in the Bush of Ghosts''), released on 3 October 1989. The album consists of diverse Latin music styles from Cuba ( ...
'' (1989) was the first solo album by Byrne after leaving Talking Heads, and features mainly Afro-Cuban, Afro-Hispanic, and Brazilian song styles, including popular dances such as
merengue,
son cubano
Son cubano is a genre of music and dance that originated in the highlands of eastern Cuba during the late 19th century. It is a syncretic genre that blends elements of Spanish and African origin. Among its fundamental Hispanic components are t ...
,
samba,
mambo
Mambo most often refers to:
* Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form
*Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music
Mambo may also refer to:
Music
* Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particul ...
,
cumbia
Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans during colonial times, and Europeans. Examples include:
...
,
cha-cha-chá,
bomba and
charanga. His third solo album, ''
Uh-Oh'' (1992), featured a brass section and was driven by tracks such as "Girls on My Mind" and "The Cowboy Mambo (Hey Lookit Me Now)". His fourth solo album, titled ''
David Byrne'' (1994), was a more proper rock record, with Byrne playing most of the instruments on it, leaving percussion for session musicians. "Angels" and "Back in the Box" were the two main singles released from the album. The first one entered the US
Modern Rock Tracks chart, reaching No. 24. For his fifth studio effort the emotional ''
Feelings
Feelings are subjective self-contained phenomenal experiences. According to the ''APA Dictionary of Psychology'', a feeling is "a self-contained phenomenal experience"; and feelings are "subjective, evaluative, and independent of the sensations ...
'' (1997), Byrne employed a brass orchestra called Black Cat Orchestra. His sixth ''
Look into the Eyeball'' (2001) continued the same musical exploration of ''Feelings'', but was compiled of more upbeat tracks, like those found on ''Uh-Oh''.
''
Grown Backwards
''Grown Backwards'' is the seventh studio album by musician David Byrne, released on March 16, 2004.
Reception
.
In 2010, Byrne claimed in his book '' How Music Works'' it has sold 127,000 physical albums, 8,000 digital albums and 53,000 di ...
'' (2004), released by
Nonesuch Records
Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly called Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, No ...
, used orchestral string arrangements, and includes two operatic
aria
In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...
s as well as a rework of
X-Press 2
X-Press 2 are an English electronic dance music duo. The members are DJ Diesel (Darren House) and DJ Rocky (Darren Rock). Ashley Beedle left to pursue solo projects in 2009. They were DJ Award winners in 2002 and Ivor Novello winners in 200 ...
collaboration "
Lazy". He also launched a North American and Australian tour with the Tosca Strings. This tour ended with
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
,
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...
and New York shows in August 2005. He also collaborated with
Selena
Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...
on her 1995 album ''
Dreaming of You'' with "God's Child (Baila Conmigo)".
![DavidByrneFestivalHall2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/DavidByrneFestivalHall2009.jpg)
Byrne and Eno reunited for his eighth album ''
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
''Everything That Happens Will Happen Today'' is the second collaborative studio album by David Byrne and Brian Eno, released on August 18, 2008, by Todo Mundo. Marking Byrne's eighth studio effort overall and Byrne a ...
'' (2008).
He assembled a band to tour worldwide for the album for a six-month period from late 2008 through early 2009 on the
Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour
The Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour is a 2008–2009 promotional concert tour of music co-written by David Byrne and Brian Eno with performances by Byrne. In addition to being a retrospective of the duo's collaborations, the tour promoted ...
.
In 2012 he released a collaborative album with American singer-songwriter
St. Vincent called ''
Love This Giant
''Love This Giant'' is a studio album made in collaboration between musicians David Byrne and St. Vincent (Annie Clark), released on 4AD and Todo Mundo on 10 September 10, 2012, in the United Kingdom and the following day in the United States. ...
''. The album featured both Byrne and St. Vincent on vocals and guitar, backed by a brass section. To promote the album, both artists travelled throughout North America, Europe, and Australia on the
Love This Giant Tour in 2012 and 2013, with each performing pieces from their career in the album’s distinctive brass band style alongside those composed for the album.
In January 2018, Byrne announced his first solo album in 14 years. ''
American Utopia
''American Utopia'' is the tenth studio album by Scottish-American rock musician David Byrne, released on March 9, 2018 through Todo Mundo and Nonesuch Records. The release is his first true solo studio album since 2004's '' Grown Backwards'' ...
'' was released in March through Todo Mundo and Nonesuch Records. He also released the album's first single, "Everybody's Coming to My House", which he co-wrote with Eno.
The subsequent tour – which showcased songs from ''American Utopia'' alongside highlights from his Talking Heads and solo career to date – was described by ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' as being perhaps "the most ambitious and impressive live show of all time", blurring the lines "between gig and theatre, poetry and dance".
Work in theatre, film, and television: 1981–present
In 1981, Byrne partnered with choreographer
Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp (; born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1966 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often uses classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music.
Fr ...
,
scoring
Score or scorer may refer to:
*Test score, the result of an exam or test
Business
* Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio
* Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company
* Score Media, a former Canadian m ...
music he wrote that appeared on his album ''
The Catherine Wheel'' for a ballet with the same name, prominently featuring unusual rhythms and lyrics. Productions of ''The Catherine Wheel'' appeared on Broadway that same year.
He was chiefly responsible for the stage design and choreography of the concert film ''
Stop Making Sense
''Stop Making Sense'' is a 1984 American concert film featuring a live performance by the American rock band Talking Heads. Directed by Jonathan Demme, it was shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December 198 ...
'' (1984).
Byrne wrote the
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a brass band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The ensemble was established in 1977, by Benny Jones and members of the Tornado Brass Band. The Dirty Dozen revolutionized the New Orleans brass band style by incorpo ...
-inspired score ''
Music for "The Knee Plays"'', released in 1985, for
Robert Wilson's vast five-act opera ''
The Civil Wars: A Tree Is Best Measured When It Is Down''.
He wrote, directed, and starred in ''
True Stories'' (1986), a musical collage of discordant
Americana
Americana may refer to:
*Americana (music), a genre or style of American music
*Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States
Film, radio and television
* ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
, as well as produced most of the film's music. He was impressed by the experimental theatre that he saw in New York City in the 1970s and collaborated with several of its best-known representatives. He worked with Robert Wilson on "The Knee Plays" and "The Forest", and invited
Spalding Gray (of The Wooster Group) to act in ''True Stories'', while Meredith Monk provided a small part of that film's soundtrack. The musician provided a soundtrack for JoAnne Akalaitis' film ''Dead End Kids'' (1986), made after a Mabou Mines theatre production. Byrne's artistic outlook has a great deal in common with the work of these artists. The same year he also added "Loco de Amor" with
Celia Cruz to
Jonathan Demme's film ''
Something Wild'' (1986).
His work has been extensively used in film
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...
s, most notably in collaboration with
Ryuichi Sakamoto
is a Japanese composer, pianist, singer, record producer and actor who has pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto i ...
and
Cong Su :''This is a Chinese name; the family name is Su.''
Cong Su (; born 1957 in Tianjin, China) is a Chinese composer.
He studied at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, then in Germany. He has lectured on music theory, music analysis, film ...
on
Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci (; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. Considered one of the greatest directors in Italian cinema, Bertolucci's work achieved international ...
's ''
The Last Emperor
''The Last Emperor'' ( it, L'ultimo imperatore) is a 1987 epic biographical drama film about the life of Puyi, the final Emperor of China. It is directed by Bernardo Bertolucci from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mark Peploe, which was adapted ...
'' (1987), which won an
Academy Award for Best Original Score.
Some of the music from Byrne's orchestral album ''
The Forest'' was originally used in a Robert Wilson-directed theatre piece with the same name. The play ''The Forest'' premiered at the ''Theater der Freien Volksbühne'', Berlin, in 1988. It received its New York premiere in December 1988 at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). The Forestry Maxi-single contained dance and industrial remixes of pieces from ''The Forest'' by
Jack Dangers
Jack Dangers (born John Stephen Corrigan, 11 January 1965) is an English electronic musician, DJ, producer, and remixer best known for his work as the primary member of Meat Beat Manifesto. He lives in San Francisco.
Career
Prior to founding ...
, Rudy Tambala, and Anthony Capel. Byrne released his soundtrack album in 1991.
Byrne also directed the documentary ''Île Aiye'' (1989) and the concert film of his 1992 Latin-tinged tour titled ''Between the Teeth'' (1994).
''
In Spite of Wishing and Wanting'' is a soundscape Byrne produced in 1999 for Belgian choreographer
Wim Vandekeybus
Wim Vandekeybus (Herenthout, 30 June 1963) is a Belgian choreographer, director and photographer. His company Ultima Vez is located in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek (Brussels).
Together with Jan Fabre, Alain Platel and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Wim Vand ...
's dance company Ultima Vez.
In 2003, Byrne guest starred as himself on
a season 14 episode of ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
''. Released the same year, ''
Lead Us Not into Temptation'' included tracks and musical experiments from his score to film ''
Young Adam'' (2003).
In late 2005, Byrne and
Fatboy Slim began work on ''
Here Lies Love
''Here Lies Love'' is a concept album and rock musical made in collaboration between David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, about the life of the former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos along with the woman who raised her—Estrella Cumpas ...
'', a
disco opera or
song cycle
A song cycle (german: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group, or cycle (music), cycle, of individually complete Art song, songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online''
The songs are either for solo voice ...
about the life of
Imelda Marcos
Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who served as the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power during the dictato ...
, the controversial former First Lady of the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. Some music from this piece was debuted at
Adelaide Festival of Arts in Australia in February 2006 and the following year at
Carnegie Hall on 3 February 2007.
In 2008, Byrne released ''
Big Love: Hymnal'' – his soundtrack to season two of ''
Big Love
''Big Love'' is an American drama television series that aired on HBO from March 12, 2006 to March 20, 2011. It stars Bill Paxton as the patriarch of a fundamentalist Mormon family in contemporary Utah that practices polygamy, with Jeanne Tri ...
'', which aired in 2007. These two albums constituted the first releases on his independent record label Todo Mundo. Byrne and Brian Eno provided the soundtrack for the film ''
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps'' (2010).
In 2015, he organised ''Contemporary Color'', two arena concerts in Brooklyn and Toronto, for which he brought in ten musical acts who teamed up with ten
color guard
In military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is so prestigious that the military colour is generally carried by a young ...
groups. The concerts were made into a
2016 documentary film, directed by Bill and Turner Ross, and produced by Byrne.
In October 2019, his ''
American Utopia
''American Utopia'' is the tenth studio album by Scottish-American rock musician David Byrne, released on March 9, 2018 through Todo Mundo and Nonesuch Records. The release is his first true solo studio album since 2004's '' Grown Backwards'' ...
'' opened at the
Hudson Theatre
The Hudson Theatre is a Broadway theater at 139–141 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the Hudson was built ...
on Broadway.
Byrne appeared in comedian
John Mulaney
John Edmund Mulaney (born August 26, 1982) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He first rose to prominence for his work as a writer on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2008 to 2013, where he contributed to numerous ...
's children's musical comedy special ''
John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch
''John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch'' is a children's musical comedy special created by John Mulaney that debuted on Netflix on December 24, 2019. The show, directed by Rhys Thomas, was written by Mulaney and Marika Sawyer and inspired by cla ...
'' (2019), where he performed the song "Pay Attention!" His song "Tiny Apocalypse" was also featured as the special's end credits song.
On February 29, 2020, after a 30-year absence, Byrne performed as the musical guest on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' with
John Mulaney
John Edmund Mulaney (born August 26, 1982) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He first rose to prominence for his work as a writer on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2008 to 2013, where he contributed to numerous ...
as host. Byrne performed "
Once in a Lifetime" and "
Toe Jam" with the cast of the Broadway show ''American Utopia'' and appears in the "Airport Sushi" sketch singing a parody of "Road to Nowhere". This was Byrne's third appearance on ''Saturday Night Live''. He previously served as the musical guest as part of Talking Heads in
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...
, and as a solo musical guest in
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
.
In 2022, Byrne's interview with
Debbie Millman
Debbie Millman is an American writer, educator, artist, curator, and designer who is best known as the host of the podcast '' Design Matters''. She has authored six books and is the President Emeritus of the American Institute of Graphic Arts ...
was featured on the
Storybound (podcast) season 5 premiere.
Other musical contributions: 1990–present
Byrne has contributed songs to five
AIDS benefit compilation albums produced by the
Red Hot Organization: ''
Red Hot + Blue
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
: A Tribute to Cole Porter'', ''
Red Hot + Rio
''Red Hot + Rio'' is a compilation album produced by Béco Dranoff and Paul Heck as part of the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series intended to promote AIDS awareness. This installment is a contemporary tribute to the bossa nova sound, especially the mus ...
'', ''
Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin'', ''
Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon'', and ''
Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip''. He appeared as a guest vocalist/guitarist for
10,000 Maniacs
10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...
during their ''
MTV Unplugged
''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'' concert, though the songs in which he is featured were cut from the following album. One of them, "Let the Mystery Be", appeared as the fourth track on 10,000 Maniacs' CD single "Few and Far Between".
In 1992, he performed with
Richard Thompson. Their joint acoustic concert at St. Ann & The Holy Trinity in
Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south, ...
, New York on 24 March, produced the album ''An Acoustic Evening'' which was released the same year. Byrne worked with Latin superstar
Selena
Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...
in March 1995; writing, producing and singing a bilingual duet titled "God's Child (Baila Conmigo)". This became the last song Selena recorded before she was
murdered on March 31, 1995. The song was included on the singer's posthumous album ''
Dreaming of You''.
In 1997, he was the host of ''
Sessions at West 54th
''Sessions at West 54th'' is an American television program that featured music performances, and was in some ways a pop music variation on the theme set by the long-lived ''Austin City Limits'', though the featured musicians represented a number ...
'' during its second of three seasons and collaborated with members of
Devo and
Morcheeba
Morcheeba is an English electronic band formed in the mid-1990s with founding members vocalist Skye Edwards and the brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey. They mix influences from trip hop, rock, folk rock and downtempo, and have produced ten regula ...
to record the album ''
Feelings
Feelings are subjective self-contained phenomenal experiences. According to the ''APA Dictionary of Psychology'', a feeling is "a self-contained phenomenal experience"; and feelings are "subjective, evaluative, and independent of the sensations ...
''.
![David Byrne by Ron Baker](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/David_Byrne_by_Ron_Baker.jpg)
In 2001, a version of Byrne's single "
Like Humans Do",
edited to remove its drug reference, was selected by
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washin ...
as the sample music for
Windows XP
Windows XP is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. It was released to manufacturing on August 24, 2001, and later to retail on October 25, 2001. It is a direct upgrade to its predecessors, Windows 2000 for high-end and ...
to demonstrate
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player (WMP) is the first media player (application software), media player and media library application that was developed by Microsoft for playing sound reproduction, audio, video and viewing images on personal computers runnin ...
.
In 2002, Byrne co-wrote and provided vocals for a track, "
Lazy" by
X-Press 2
X-Press 2 are an English electronic dance music duo. The members are DJ Diesel (Darren House) and DJ Rocky (Darren Rock). Ashley Beedle left to pursue solo projects in 2009. They were DJ Award winners in 2002 and Ivor Novello winners in 200 ...
, which reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom and number-one on the US Dance Charts. He said in an interview on
BBC Four ''Sessions'' coverage of his Union Chapel performance that "Lazy" was number-one in
Syria. The track later featured with orchestral arrangements on his ''
Grown Backwards
''Grown Backwards'' is the seventh studio album by musician David Byrne, released on March 16, 2004.
Reception
.
In 2010, Byrne claimed in his book '' How Music Works'' it has sold 127,000 physical albums, 8,000 digital albums and 53,000 di ...
'' (2004) album.
In September 2004, Byrne co-authored a CD collection and performed with Gilberto Gil at a benefit concert promoting the
Creative Commons license.
In 2006, his singing was featured on "The Heart's a Lonely Hunter" on ''The Cosmic Game'' by
Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation is an American electronic music duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton. Their musical style mixes elements of dub, acid jazz, reggae, Indian classical, Middle Eastern music, hip hop and Brazilian music, including bo ...
.
In 2007, he provided a cover of
the Fiery Furnaces
The Fiery Furnaces are an American indie rock band, formed in 2000 in Brooklyn, New York.. - ''In 2000 they moved Brooklyn... and began playing as the Fiery Furnaces late in the year''. - Allmusic The band's primary members are Matthew and Eleanor ...
' song "Ex-Guru" for a compilation to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the founding of
Thrill Jockey
Thrill Jockey is an American independent record label established by former Atlantic Records A&R representative Bettina Richards and based in Chicago.
History
Richards started the label in 1992 with $35,000 of family and personal capital, while ...
, a Chicago-based record label.
In April 2008, Byrne took part in the
Paul Simon retrospective concert series at BAM performing "
You Can Call Me Al
"You Can Call Me Al" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his seventh studio album, ''Graceland'' (1986), released on Warner Bros. Records. Written by Simon, its lyrics follow an individual seemingly ex ...
" and "I Know What I Know" from Simon's ''
Graceland
Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, which was once owned by rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited Graceland after his death in 1977. Graceland is located at 3764 Elv ...
'' album. Later that year, Byrne and his production team turned the
Battery Maritime Building
The Battery Maritime Building is a building at South Ferry on the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City. Located at 10 South Street, near the intersection with Whitehall Street, it contains an operational ferry terminal at ground ...
, a 99-year-old ferry terminal 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 ...
, into a playable musical instrument. The structure was connected electronically to a
pipe organ and made playable for a piece called "
Playing the Building".
This project was previously installed in
Stockholm in 2005, and later at the
London Roundhouse in 2009. Byrne says that the point of the project was to allow people to experience art first hand, by creating music with the organ, rather than simply looking at it. Also in 2008, he collaborated with
the Brighton Port Authority
Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist f ...
, composing the music and singing the lyrics for "
Toe Jam".
Byrne is featured on the tracks "Money" and "The People Tree", on
N.A.S.A.'s 2009 album ''
The Spirit of Apollo
''The Spirit of Apollo'' is the debut album by N.A.S.A., a hip hop duo consisting of Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon. It was released on ANTI- in 2009.
The track, "N.A.S.A. Anthem", was featured on the official NASA Glenn Research Center website ...
''. In 2009, he also appeared on HIV/AIDS charity album ''
Dark Was the Night Dark Was the Night may refer to:
* ''Dark Was the Night'' (album), a 2009 compilation album
* ''Dark Was the Night'' (2014 film), an American thriller film
* ''Dark Was the Night'' (2018 film), an American drama film
* "Dark Was the Night" (''Grey' ...
'' for
Red Hot Organization. He collaborated with
Dirty Projectors
Dirty Projectors is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002. The band is the project of singer-songwriter David Longstreth, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes. The ...
on the song "Knotty Pine". In the same year, Byrne performed at the
Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. He also was a signator of a letter protesting the decision of the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
to choose
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the ...
as the subject of its inaugural City-to-City Spotlight strand.
In May 2011, Byrne contributed backing vocals to the
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member ...
track "Speaking in Tongues" which appeared on the deluxe edition of their 2010 album ''
The Suburbs
''The Suburbs'' is the third studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on August 2, 2010. Coinciding with its announcement, the band released a limited edition 12-inch single containing the title track and "Month of May". ''.
Jherek Bischoff
Jherek Brandon Bischoff (born September 11, 1979) is an American composer, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumental performer. He has released over a dozen studio albums as a solo artist and band member and has credits as a musician, arranger, p ...
's 2012 album ''
Composed'' features Byrne on the track "Eyes". The same year, he also released a show recorded with
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo, which encomp ...
in 2004 at New York City's
Carnegie Hall (''
Live at Carnegie Hall'').
In March 2013, he debuted a fully staged production of his 2010 concept album ''
Here Lies Love
''Here Lies Love'' is a concept album and rock musical made in collaboration between David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, about the life of the former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos along with the woman who raised her—Estrella Cumpas ...
'' at New York's
Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American ...
, directed by
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
-nominee
Alex Timbers
Alex Timbers (born August 7, 1978) is an American writer and director and the recipient of Tony, Golden Globe, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and London Evening Standard Awards, as well as two OBIE and Lucile Lortel Awards. He is the recipie ...
following its premiere at MoCA earlier in the year. That same month, he and Sakamoto released a re-recording of their 1994 collaboration
"Psychedelic Afternoon" to raise money and awareness for children impacted by the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six mi ...
.
In May 2014, Byrne announced his involvement with
Anna Calvi
Anna Margaret Michelle Calvi (born 24 September 1980) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her accolades include three Mercury Prize nominations, one Brit Award nomination, and a European Border Breakers Award. She has been noted by ...
's EP, ''
Strange Weather'', collaborating with her on two songs: a cover of
Keren Ann's "Strange Weather" and
Connan Mockasin
Connan Tant Hosford, better known by the stage name Connan Mockasin and sometimes credited as Connan Hosford, is a New Zealand musician, composer and record producer. Critically acclaimed and described as "a psych-funk oddball...a contrarian", ...
's "I'm the Man, That Will Find You".
In August 2016, he was featured on "Snoopies" on the
Kickstarter-funded album, ''
And the Anonymous Nobody...'' by
De La Soul.
Other work
David Byrne founded the world music record label
Luaka Bop
Luaka Bop is a New York–based record label founded by musician David Byrne, former lead singer and guitarist for the art rock– new wave band Talking Heads. What began with Byrne making cassettes of his favorite Tropicália tracks for his fri ...
in 1990. It was originally created to release Latin American compilations, but it has grown to include music from Cuba, Africa, the Far East and beyond, releasing the work of artists such as
Cornershop
Cornershop are a British indie rock band best known for their single "Brimful of Asha", originally released in 1997 and, in a remixed version, topping the UK chart in 1998. The band was formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh (singe ...
,
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes (meaning '' the mutants''; ) are an influential Brazilian rock band that were linked with the Tropicália movement, a dissident musical movement during the Brazilian dictatorship of the late 1960s. The band is considered to be one ...
,
Los De Abajo
Los de Abajo ("The Ones From Below") is the official supporters group of Universidad de Chile. They are one of the biggest groups of supporters in Chile. It is the team that takes the most people to the stadium in Chile.
History
In 1987, Univers ...
,
Jim White,
Zap Mama
Zap Mama is the music act of Belgian artist Marie Daulne. Zap Mama sings polyphonic and afro-pop music, a harmonic music with a mixture of infused African vocal techniques, urban, hip hop with emphasis on voice. The worldwide success of Zap Ma ...
,
Tom Zé
Antônio José Santana Martins (born 11 October 1936), known professionally as Tom Zé (), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who was influential in the Tropicália movement of 1960s Brazil. After the peak of ...
,
Los Amigos Invisibles
Los Amigos Invisibles (Spanish for "The Invisible Friends") is a Venezuelan band which plays a blend of disco, acid jazz and funk mixed with Latin rhythms. In addition to releasing eleven critically acclaimed albums, the band have been lauded ...
and
King Changó.
In 2005, he initiated his own
internet radio
Online radio (also web radio, net radio, streaming radio, e-radio, IP radio, Internet radio) is a digital audio service transmitted via the Internet. Broadcasting on the Internet is usually referred to as webcasting since it is not transmitted ...
station, Radio David Byrne. Each month, Byrne posts a playlist of music he likes, linked by themes or genres. Byrne's playlists have included
African popular music
African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop or Afro pop), like African traditional music, is vast and varied. Most contemporary genres of African popular music build on cross-pollination with western popular music. Many genres of p ...
,
country music classics,
vox humana, classical opera and
film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...
s from
Italian movies.
He serves on the board of directors of
SoundExchange
SoundExchange is an American non-profit collective rights management organization founded in 2003. It is the sole organization designated by the U.S. Congress to collect and distribute digital performance royalties for sound recordings. It pays ...
, an organisation designated by the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
to collect and distribute digital performance royalties for sound recordings.
In 2006, Byrne released ''Arboretum'', a sketchbook facsimile of his Tree Drawings, published by
McSweeney's
McSweeney's Publishing is an American non-profit publishing house founded by Dave Eggers in 1998 and headquartered in San Francisco.
Initially publishing the literary journal'' Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern'', the company has moved to ...
. Byrne is a visual artist whose work has been shown in contemporary art galleries and museums around since the 1990s. Represented by the
Pace/MacGill Gallery in New York. In 2010 his original artwork was in the exhibition ''The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl'' at the
Nasher Museum of Art
The Nasher Museum of Art (previously the Duke University Museum of Art) is the art museum of Duke University, and is located on Duke's campus in Durham, North Carolina, United States. The Nasher, along with Dartmouth's Hood Museum of Art and Pr ...
at
Duke University.
TED Talks
David Byrne has also been a speaker at the
TED
TED may refer to:
Economics and finance
* TED spread between U.S. Treasuries and Eurodollar
Education
* ''Türk Eğitim Derneği'', the Turkish Education Association
** TED Ankara College Foundation Schools, Turkey
** Transvaal Education Depa ...
conferences. In June 2010, he spoke at the TED conference about the effects of architecture on music. Later in October 2010, he performed a hit from Talking Heads's 1988 album ''
Naked
Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing.
The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to h ...
'' titled "(Nothing But) Flowers" along with
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Morgan Robertson (born 14 October 1958), known by the stage name Thomas Dolby, is an English musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur and teacher.
Dolby came to prominence in the 1980s, releasing hit singles including "She Blinded Me ...
and string quartet Ethel-the TED2010 house band.
Personal life
Although a resident of the United States since childhood, Byrne was a
British citizen
British nationality law prescribes the conditions under which a person is recognised as being a national of the United Kingdom. The six different classes of British nationality each have varying degrees of civil and political rights, due to the ...
until 2012, when he became a
dual citizen
Dual or Duals may refer to:
Paired/two things
* Dual (mathematics), a notion of paired concepts that mirror one another
** Dual (category theory), a formalization of mathematical duality
*** see more cases in :Duality theories
* Dual (grammatical ...
of the United Kingdom and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. He lives in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. His father, Thomas, died in October 2013. His mother, Emma, died in June 2014. Speaking of his Scottish origins in a 2014 interview with ''
The Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after bei ...
'' Byrne stated "I have lived in the States pretty much my whole life, but from my parents and everything, there's still an affinity to maybe a Scottish sense of humour, and some of the attitudes that go with that." During the
2014 Scottish independence referendum, Byrne expressed his preference for a ''No'' vote and for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom.
Byrne believes he has
autism spectrum disorder
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
, but has not been professionally diagnosed. In a 2020 interview on
Amy Schumer's podcast ''3 Girls, 1 Keith'', he stated that he felt that his condition was a superpower as it allows him to hyperfocus on his creative pursuits. In 2012, he stated that he felt that music was his way of communicating when he could not do it face to face because of the disorder.
Relationships
Byrne had a brief relationship with
Toni Basil
Antonia Christina Basilotta (born September 22, 1943), better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer, choreographer, dancer, actress, and director. Her song "Mickey" topped the charts in the US, Canada and Australia and hit th ...
in 1981
and he dated
Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp (; born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1966 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often uses classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music.
Fr ...
between 1981 and 1982.
[ While visiting Japan in 1982, Byrne met costume designer ]Adelle Lutz
Adelle Lutz (born November 13, 1948) is an American artist, designer and actress, most known for work using unconventional materials and strategies to explore clothing as a communicative medium.Koda, Harold. "View: ReView, Introduction," ''Adelle ...
, and they married in 1987. They have a daughter, Malu Abeni Valentine Byrne, born in 1989, and a grandson born in 2018. Malu spoke about one of her middle names, Abeni, in a 2016 interview with ''Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'': "It is Nigerian, and it means 'We asked for her and she came to us.' My parents had a hard time having kids, and when I finally came along, their good friend offered up this name." Byrne and Lutz divorced in 2004. After his divorce, he became romantically involved with art curator and Gagosian Gallery
Gagosian is a contemporary art gallery owned and directed by Larry Gagosian. The gallery exhibits some of the most influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. There are 16 gallery spaces: five in New York City; three in London; two in P ...
sales director Louise Neri. He also had a relationship with the artist Cindy Sherman
Cynthia Morris Sherman (born January 19, 1954) is an American artist whose work consists primarily of photographic self-portraits, depicting herself in many different contexts and as various imagined characters.
Her breakthrough work is often co ...
from 2007 to 2011.
Cycling
Byrne is known for his activism in support of increased cycling and for having used a bike as his main means of transport throughout his life, especially cycling around New York. In Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, Byrne drives a Citroën DS
The Citroën DS () is a front mid-engined, front-wheel drive executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1955 to 1975, in fastback/sedan, wagon/estate, and convertible body configurations, across three series of one generation.
...
, but in New York, he does not drive a car.
He says that he began cycling while he was in high school and returned to it as an adult in the late 1970s. He likes the freedom and exhilaration cycling gives him. He has written widely on cycling, including a 2009 book, ''Bicycle Diaries''. In August 2009, Byrne auctioned his Montague folding bike to raise money for the London Cycling Campaign
The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) is an independent membership charity lobbying for better conditions for cycling in London. Its vision is to make London "a world-class cycling city". It is one of the largest urban cycling organisations in th ...
.
In 2008, Byrne designed a series of bicycle parking rack
A bicycle parking rack, usually shortened to bike rack and also called a bicycle stand, is a device to which bicycles can be securely attached for parking purposes. A bike rack may be free standing or it may be securely attached to the ground o ...
s in the form of image outlines corresponding to the areas in which they were located, such as a dollar sign for Wall Street and an electric guitar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Byrne worked with a manufacturer who constructed the racks in exchange for the right to sell them later as art. The racks remained on the streets for about a year.[Ariel Kaminer. "David Byrne, Cultural Omnivore, Raises Cycling Rack to an Art Form"](_blank)
''The New York Times''. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
Two bike racks with the interchangeable Byrne Bike Rack Alphabet remain installed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Works
Studio albums with Talking Heads
*'' Talking Heads: 77'' (1977)
*'' More Songs About Buildings and Food'' (1978)
*''Fear of Music
''Fear of Music'' is the third studio album by American rock band Talking Heads, released on August 3, 1979, by Sire Records. It was recorded at locations in New York City during April and May 1979 and was produced by Brian Eno and Talking Heads ...
'' (1979)
*''Remain in Light
''Remain in Light'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band Talking Heads, released on October 8, 1980 by Sire Records. It was recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas and Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia during July and Augus ...
'' (1980)
*''Speaking in Tongues
Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is a practice in which people utter words or speech-like sounds, often thought by believers to be languages unknown to the speaker. One definition used by linguists is the fluid vocalizing of sp ...
'' (1983)
*''Little Creatures
''Little Creatures'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band Talking Heads, released on June 10, 1985, by Sire Records. The album examines themes of Americana and incorporates elements of country music, with many songs featuring steel ...
'' (1985)
*'' True Stories'' (1986)
*''Naked
Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing.
The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to h ...
'' (1988)
Solo studio albums and collaborations
* '' My Life in the Bush of Ghosts'' (1981) (with Brian Eno)
* ''Rei Momo
''Rei Momo'' is the debut solo album by David Byrne and second overall studio album (after the 1981 collaborative album '' My Life in the Bush of Ghosts''), released on 3 October 1989. The album consists of diverse Latin music styles from Cuba ( ...
'' (1989)
* '' Uh-Oh'' (1992)
* '' David Byrne'' (1994)
* ''Feelings
Feelings are subjective self-contained phenomenal experiences. According to the ''APA Dictionary of Psychology'', a feeling is "a self-contained phenomenal experience"; and feelings are "subjective, evaluative, and independent of the sensations ...
'' (1997)
* '' Look into the Eyeball'' (2001)
* ''Grown Backwards
''Grown Backwards'' is the seventh studio album by musician David Byrne, released on March 16, 2004.
Reception
.
In 2010, Byrne claimed in his book '' How Music Works'' it has sold 127,000 physical albums, 8,000 digital albums and 53,000 di ...
'' (2004)
* ''Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
''Everything That Happens Will Happen Today'' is the second collaborative studio album by David Byrne and Brian Eno, released on August 18, 2008, by Todo Mundo. Marking Byrne's eighth studio effort overall and Byrne a ...
'' (2008) (with Brian Eno)
* ''Love This Giant
''Love This Giant'' is a studio album made in collaboration between musicians David Byrne and St. Vincent (Annie Clark), released on 4AD and Todo Mundo on 10 September 10, 2012, in the United Kingdom and the following day in the United States. ...
'' (2012) (with St. Vincent)
* ''American Utopia
''American Utopia'' is the tenth studio album by Scottish-American rock musician David Byrne, released on March 9, 2018 through Todo Mundo and Nonesuch Records. The release is his first true solo studio album since 2004's '' Grown Backwards'' ...
'' (2018)
Soundtracks and music for theater
* "—" denotes albums that were released but did not chart, albums not released in a particular territory, or chart information is not available.
Film and television
Concert films
Other film and television
Competitive awards and nominations
Bibliography
Sources:
* ''True Stories'' (1986)
* Preface fo
''Occupied Territory''
by Lynne Cohen, Aperture Foundation
Aperture Foundation is a nonprofit arts institution, founded in 1952 by Ansel Adams, Minor White, Barbara Morgan, Dorothea Lange, Nancy Newhall, Beaumont Newhall, Ernest Louie, Melton Ferris, and Dody Warren. Their vision was to create a forum ...
(1987)
* ''Strange Ritual'', Chronicle Books (1995)
* ''Your Action World'' (1999)
* ''The New Sins (Los Nuevos Pecados)'' (2001)
* ''David Byrne Asks You: What Is It?'' Smart Art Press (2002)
* ''Envisioning Emotional Epistemological Information'' with DVD (2003)
* ''Arboretum'' (2006)
* ''Bicycle Diaries'' (2009)
* '' How Music Works'' (2012)
* A History of the World (in Dingbats): Drawings & Words (2022)
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byrne, David
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Singer-songwriters from Maryland
Singers from New York City
Sire Records artists
Talking Heads members
Thrill Jockey artists
Writers from New York City
20th-century American male singers
20th-century American singers
Singer-songwriters from New York (state)
Cyclists from New York (state)
Warner Records artists