David Byrne

David Byrne Headshot

Musician • Singer • Songwriter

Birth Date: May 14, 1952

Age: 71 years old

Birth Place: Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK

One of the most eclectic artists to emerge from the American punk scene of the 1970s, David Byrne was the vocalist and chief songwriter for the band Talking Heads, which blended artistic, abstract sensibilities with a dizzying array of musical influences to become one of the most popular bands of the 1980s before Byrne left the group for a solo career in 1991. He captured critical and listener attention with the nervous energy and displaced emotion in songs like "Life During Wartime, "Burning Down the House," "Psycho Killer" and "Girlfriend is Better," which he underscored with his powerhouse vocals and kinetic stage presence. Talking Heads broke onto the Billboard charts with 1980's "Once in a Lifetime," which preceded a handful of Top 40 singles before the band's acrimonious split at the dawn of the new decade. In the years that followed, Byrne pursued a sonically adventurous solo career that veered from records that explored international rhythms to soundtrack work, including the Oscar-winning score for "The Last Emperor" (1987) and his own record label, Luaka Bop, which brought many Third World artists to Western audiences. Throughout it all, Byrne remained one of popular music's most independent-minded figures, parlaying his own individual fascinations into a career that drew considerable respect from both the critical and listener communities.

Credits

The Oscars

Music Performer
TV Show
2024

John Mulaney: Baby JStream

Music
TV Show
2023
86%

The Oscars

Music Performer
TV Show
2023

Oscars 2023

Music Performer
TV Show
2023

Elvis Costello/Burt Bacharach: Sessions at West 54th

Host
TV Show
2023

The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!

Music Performer
TV Show
2021

CBS Saturday Morning

Music Performer
TV Show
2021

Twyla Moves

Self
Movie
2021

Tell Me More With Kelly Corrigan

Guest
TV Show
2020

David Byrne's American Utopia: Extras

Actor
TV Show
2020

David Byrne's American UtopiaStream

Executive Producer
Movie
2020
97%

David Byrne's American UtopiaStream

Original Music
Movie
2020
97%

David Byrne's American UtopiaStream

Self
Movie
2020
97%

John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch

Guest
TV Show
2019

Everything for All Reasons

Actor
Movie
2019

The Necromancer

Actor
Young Boy
Movie
2018

The Cardigans Feat. Tom Jones: Burning Down the House

Composer
TV Show
2017

Contemporary Color

Actor
Himself
TV Show
2016

Contemporary Color

Producer
Movie
2016

Contemporary Color

Self
Movie
2016

Temporary Color

Actor
Movie
2016

The Daily Show With Trevor NoahStream

Guest
TV Show
2015

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

Music Performer
TV Show
2015

The Late Late Show With James CordenStream

Guest
TV Show
2015

q

Guest
TV Show
2014

Late Night With Seth MeyersStream

Guest
TV Show
2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

Guest
TV Show
2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

Music Performer
TV Show
2014

CBS This Morning

Guest
TV Show
2012

David Byrne & St. Vincent: Who

Music Performer
TV Show
2012

Under African Skies

Actor
Movie
2012

This Must Be the Place

Original Music
Movie
2011

This Must Be the Place

Self
Movie
2011

The First Time With

Guest
TV Show
2010

Wall Street: Money Never SleepsStream

Original Songs
Movie
2010
55%

Ride, Rise, Roar

Actor
Movie
2010

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Music Performer
TV Show
2009

N.A.S.A. feat. David Byrne, Chali 2na, Gift Of Gab & Z-Trip: The People Tree

Music Performer
TV Show
2009

N.A.S.A. feat. David Byrne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge & Z-Trip: Money

Music Performer
TV Show
2008

Coração Vagabundo

Self
Movie
2008

Pittsburgh

Original Music
Movie
2006

Fabricating Tom Zé

Self
Movie
2006

The Colbert Report

Guest
TV Show
2005

Duck

Original Songs
Movie
2005

Real Time With Bill MaherStream

Guest
TV Show
2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

Music Performer
TV Show
2003

Young Adam

Composer
Movie
2003

The Andrew Marr Show

Guest Star
TV Show
2002

X-Press 2 Feat. David Byrne: Lazy

Music Performer
TV Show
2002

Art of Amalia

Actor
Introduction (English version)
Movie
2000

The Bachelor

Original Music
Movie
1999

The Book of Life

Original Music
Movie
1998

Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart

Actor
Movie
1998

Theater Talk

Guest
TV Show
1996

Blue in the Face

Original Music
Movie
1995

Space Ghost: Coast to CoastStream

Guest
TV Show
1994

Between the Teeth

Director
Movie
1994

Late Show With David Letterman

Music Performer
TV Show
1993

The SimpsonsStream

Guest Voice
Himself
TV Show
1989
85%

Immediate Family

Original Song
Movie
1989

Heavy Petting

Actor
Movie
1989

Married to the MobStream

Original Music
Movie
1988
90%

Wall StreetStream

Original Music
Movie
1987
79%

The Last EmperorStream

Original Music
Movie
1987
87%

True Stories

Actor
Narrator/Lip-Syncher/Talking Heads singer
Movie
1986

True Stories

Director
Movie
1986

True Stories

Screenwriter
Movie
1986

Something WildStream

Original Music
Movie
1986
91%

Stop Making Sense

Actor
Vocals and Guitar
Movie
1984

Stop Making Sense

Original Music
Movie
1984

CBS News Sunday Morning

Guest
TV Show
1979

The Blank Generation

Actor
Movie
1976

Saturday Night LiveStream

Music Performer
TV Show
1975

Canada AM

Guest
TV Show
1972

60 MinutesStream

Guest
TV Show
1968

TodayStream

Guest
TV Show
1952

News about
David Byrne