History of David Byrne in Timeline
David Byrne is a multi-talented artist known for his work as a musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He rose to prominence as a founding member and frontman of the influential new wave band Talking Heads. As the band's principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist, Byrne played a pivotal role in shaping their unique sound and artistic vision. Beyond his musical contributions, Byrne has explored diverse creative avenues, including writing, visual arts, and filmmaking, establishing himself as a versatile and innovative artist.
May 1952: Birth of David Byrne
David Byrne was born in Dumbarton, Scotland in May 1952.
May 1952: Birth and Early Childhood
David Byrne was born in May 1952 in Dumbarton, Scotland, to parents Tom and Emma Byrne. His family moved to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, two years later, partly due to limited job opportunities in Scotland for his father's engineering skills and partly due to family tensions surrounding his parents' interfaith marriage.
1970: Education at RISD
In 1970, David Byrne attended the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence, Rhode Island.
1971: Early Music Career: Bizadi
Between 1971 and 1972, David Byrne formed the duo Bizadi with Marc Kehoe, performing songs like "April Showers", "96 Tears", "Dancing on the Ceiling", and Frank Sinatra covers.
1971: Education at MICA
David Byrne attended the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore in 1971 after attending RISD for a year.
1972: Early Music Career
David Byrne was a member of the duo Bizadi with Marc Kehoe in 1972
1973: Formation of The Artistics
David Byrne returned to Providence and formed the band the Artistics with Chris Frantz in 1973.
1974: Move to New York and Early Talking Heads Formation
The Artistics disbanded in 1974. Byrne moved to New York City in May, followed by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth in September. They began searching for a bass player, eventually leading to Weymouth learning the instrument, and started contemplating forming a band in late 1974.
January 1975: Talking Heads Begin Practicing
By January 1975, Talking Heads began practicing and playing together while still maintaining day jobs.
May 1976: Byrne Quits Day Job
David Byrne left his day job in May 1976 to focus on Talking Heads.
1977: Jerry Harrison Joins Talking Heads
Jerry Harrison, formerly of The Modern Lovers, joined Talking Heads in 1977.
1979: Collaboration with Brian Eno
David Byrne collaborated with Brian Eno in 1979 on the album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.
1979: First Saturday Night Live Appearance
David Byrne first performed on Saturday Night Live with the Talking Heads in 1979.
1981: Collaboration with Twyla Tharp on The Catherine Wheel
David Byrne collaborated with choreographer Twyla Tharp in 1981, composing music for the ballet The Catherine Wheel, which was also featured on his album of the same name.
1981: Relationship with Toni Basil
David Byrne had a brief relationship with Toni Basil in 1981.
1981: Release of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
The album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, a collaboration between David Byrne and Brian Eno, was released in 1981.
1982: Relationship with Twyla Tharp
David Byrne dated Twyla Tharp from 1981 to 1982.
1984: Stop Making Sense
David Byrne was chiefly responsible for the stage design and choreography of the concert film Stop Making Sense in 1984.
1985: Music for "The Knee Plays"
In 1985, David Byrne composed the score Music for "The Knee Plays", inspired by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, for Robert Wilson's five-act opera The Civil Wars: A Tree Is Best Measured When It Is Down.
1986: True Stories
David Byrne wrote, directed, and starred in the musical collage film True Stories in 1986. He also composed most of the film's music. The film featured collaborations with experimental theatre artists such as Spalding Gray and Meredith Monk.
1986: Dead End Kids and Something Wild soundtracks
In 1986, David Byrne provided the soundtrack for JoAnne Akalaitis' film Dead End Kids, and he also contributed the song "Loco de Amor" with Celia Cruz to Jonathan Demme's film Something Wild.
1987: Marriage to Adelle Lutz
David Byrne married Adelle Lutz in 1987.
1987: The Last Emperor
In 1987, David Byrne collaborated with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su on the soundtrack for Bernardo Bertolucci's film The Last Emperor, which won an Academy Award for Best Original Score.
December 1988: The Forest Premiere
In December 1988, the play The Forest, with music originally composed by Byrne for his orchestral album of the same name and directed by Robert Wilson, premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).
1988: Talking Heads Hiatus and Solo Career Launch
Talking Heads went on hiatus in 1988, during which Byrne began his solo career.
1988: Release of Talking Heads' Naked
Talking Heads released their album "Naked" in 1988, which included the song "(Nothing But) Flowers" later performed by Byrne at TED.
1989: Île Aiye
David Byrne directed the documentary film Île Aiye in 1989.
1989: Second Saturday Night Live Appearance
David Byrne made his second appearance as a solo musical guest on Saturday Night Live in 1989.
1989: Release of Rei Momo
David Byrne released his first solo album, Rei Momo, in 1989, exploring Afro-Cuban, Afro-Hispanic, and Brazilian musical styles.
1989: Birth of Malu Abeni Valentine Byrne
David Byrne's daughter, Malu Abeni Valentine Byrne, was born in 1989.
1990: Co-founding of Luaka Bop
David Byrne co-founded the world-music record label Luaka Bop with Yale Evelev in 1990.
December 1991: Talking Heads Officially Disband
Talking Heads officially disbanded in December 1991 after a brief reunion to record the single "Sax and Violins".
1991: The Forest Soundtrack Release
David Byrne released the soundtrack album for "The Forest" in 1991.
March 1992: An Acoustic Evening with Richard Thompson
In March 1992, David Byrne performed with Richard Thompson at St. Ann & The Holy Trinity in Brooklyn Heights, New York, which was later released as the album An Acoustic Evening.
1992: Release of Uh-Oh
David Byrne released his third solo album, Uh-Oh, in 1992, featuring a brass section and tracks like "Girls on My Mind" and "The Cowboy Mambo".
1992: Between the Teeth Tour
In 1992, David Byrne embarked on a Latin-tinged tour.
1994: Between the Teeth Film
The concert film of David Byrne's 1992 Latin-tinged tour, titled Between the Teeth, was released in 1994.
1994: Release of David Byrne
David Byrne released his self-titled fourth solo album, a rock record, in 1994, playing most of the instruments himself.
1994: Original Release of "Psychedelic Afternoon"
David Byrne and Sakamoto originally released "Psychedelic Afternoon" in 1994.
March 1995: Collaboration with Selena
David Byrne worked with Selena in March 1995, writing, producing, and singing on their duet "God's Child (Baila Conmigo)".
March 31, 1995: Selena's "God's Child (Baila Conmigo)" Released
"God's Child (Baila Conmigo)", co-written and produced by David Byrne and featuring Selena, was released in March 1995. This was Selena's last recording before her death on March 31, 1995.
1995: Collaboration with Selena
In 1995, David Byrne collaborated with Selena on the song "God's Child (Baila Conmigo)" for her album Dreaming of You.
1997: Release of Feelings
David Byrne released his fifth solo album, Feelings, in 1997, featuring the Black Cat Orchestra.
1997: Sessions at West 54th and Feelings Album
In 1997, David Byrne hosted Sessions at West 54th and collaborated with members of Devo and Morcheeba on the album Feelings.
1999: In Spite of Wishing and Wanting
In 1999, David Byrne created the soundscape In Spite of Wishing and Wanting for Wim Vandekeybus's dance company Ultima Vez.
2001: Release of Look into the Eyeball
David Byrne released his sixth solo album, Look into the Eyeball, in 2001, continuing the musical exploration of Feelings with more upbeat tracks.
2001: Windows XP Sample Music
David Byrne's song "Like Humans Do" was chosen as the sample music for Windows XP's Windows Media Player in 2001.
2002: "Lazy" with X-Press 2
David Byrne co-wrote and provided vocals for X-Press 2's song "Lazy" in 2002, which became a hit in the UK and US.
2002: Talking Heads Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Talking Heads were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, reuniting to perform three songs.
2003: The Simpsons and Lead Us Not into Temptation
In 2003, David Byrne guest-starred as himself on an episode of The Simpsons and released the album Lead Us Not into Temptation, featuring music from the film Young Adam.
September 2004: Creative Commons Benefit with Gilberto Gil
David Byrne co-authored a CD collection and performed with Gilberto Gil at a benefit concert for Creative Commons in September 2004.
2004: Divorce from Adelle Lutz
David Byrne and Adelle Lutz divorced in 2004.
2004: Release of Grown Backwards
David Byrne released Grown Backwards in 2004, featuring orchestral string arrangements and operatic arias.
2004: Grown Backwards Release
Byrne released the album Grown Backwards, which included an orchestral version of "Lazy", in 2004.
2004: Performance with Caetano Veloso
David Byrne performed with Caetano Veloso at Carnegie Hall in 2004, which was later released as a live album in 2012.
August 2005: Grown Backwards Tour Concludes
David Byrne's North American and Australian tour with the Tosca Strings, supporting the album Grown Backwards, concluded in August 2005.
2005: Begins Work on Here Lies Love
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim started working on Here Lies Love, a disco opera about Imelda Marcos, in 2005.
2005: Launch of Radio David Byrne
In 2005, David Byrne launched his internet radio station, Radio David Byrne, featuring curated playlists of diverse musical genres.
2005: Playing the Building in Stockholm
In 2005, David Byrne's "Playing the Building" project was installed in Stockholm.
February 2006: Here Lies Love Premiere at Adelaide Festival
Some music from Here Lies Love was debuted at the Adelaide Festival of Arts in Australia in February 2006.
2006: Release of Arboretum
David Byrne released "Arboretum," a sketchbook of his tree drawings, in 2006.
2006: Collaboration with Thievery Corporation
In 2006, David Byrne's vocals were featured on "The Heart's a Lonely Hunter" on Thievery Corporation's album The Cosmic Game.
2006: Re-release of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts was re-released in 2006 for its 25th anniversary, with bonus tracks and stems released under Creative Commons licenses.
February 2007: Here Lies Love at Carnegie Hall
Music from Here Lies Love was performed at Carnegie Hall in February 2007.
2007: Fiery Furnaces Cover
David Byrne covered the Fiery Furnaces' song "Ex-Guru" for a Thrill Jockey 15th anniversary compilation in 2007.
2007: Big Love Season Two Airs
The second season of Big Love, for which Byrne composed the soundtrack, aired in 2007.
2007: Relationship with Cindy Sherman
David Byrne was in a relationship with Cindy Sherman from 2007 to 2011.
April 2008: Paul Simon Retrospective and Playing the Building
In April 2008, David Byrne participated in the Paul Simon retrospective concert series at BAM, performing "You Can Call Me Al" and "I Know What I Know." He also transformed the Battery Maritime Building into a playable musical instrument, titled "Playing the Building."
2008: Release of Everything That Happens Will Happen Today and Start of Tour
David Byrne and Brian Eno reunited for the album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today in 2008. Byrne assembled a band and began a world tour for the album.
2008: Big Love: Hymnal Release
David Byrne released Big Love: Hymnal, the soundtrack to the second season of Big Love, in 2008. This was one of the first releases on his record label Todo Mundo.
2008: Designing bicycle parking racks
In 2008, David Byrne designed a series of artistically inspired bicycle parking racks that were temporarily installed in various locations around New York City.
August 2009: Auctioning his Montague folding bike
In August 2009, David Byrne auctioned off his Montague folding bike to raise money for the London Cycling Campaign.
2009: Everything That Happens Tour Continues
David Byrne continued touring with the band for his album "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today" through early 2009.
2009: Playing the Building in London
David Byrne's interactive musical installation, "Playing the Building," was showcased at the London Roundhouse in 2009.
2009: Collaborations and Performances
In 2009, David Byrne was featured on N.A.S.A.'s album "The Spirit of Apollo," contributed to the Red Hot Organization's "Dark Was the Night" album, collaborated with Dirty Projectors, performed at Bonnaroo, and protested the Toronto International Film Festival's choice of Tel Aviv for its City-to-City Spotlight.
June 2010: TED Talk on Architecture and Music
In June 2010, David Byrne gave a TED Talk on the influence of architecture on music.
October 2010: TED Performance
In October 2010, David Byrne performed "(Nothing But) Flowers" at a TED conference with Thomas Dolby and string quartet Ethel.
2010: Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
David Byrne and Brian Eno created the soundtrack for the film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps in 2010.
2010: Release of Here Lies Love Album
David Byrne released the concept album "Here Lies Love" in 2010.
2010: The Record Exhibition
In 2010, David Byrne's artwork was featured in "The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl" exhibition at the Nasher Museum of Art.
2010: Release of The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire released their album "The Suburbs" in 2010, which later featured David Byrne on a deluxe edition track.
May 2011: Collaboration with Arcade Fire
In May 2011, David Byrne provided backing vocals for Arcade Fire's song "Speaking in Tongues" on the deluxe edition of their album "The Suburbs."
2011: End of Relationship with Cindy Sherman
David Byrne's relationship with Cindy Sherman ended in 2011.
2011: Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami
The Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami occurred in 2011.
2012: Release of Love This Giant and Start of Tour
David Byrne and St. Vincent released their collaborative album Love This Giant in 2012 and embarked on a tour to promote it.
2012: US Citizenship
David Byrne became a dual citizen of the UK and the US in 2012.
2012: Music as Communication
In 2012, David Byrne stated that he uses music as a way to communicate.
2012: Jherek Bischoff Collaboration and Live Album Release
In 2012, David Byrne was featured on Jherek Bischoff's album "Composed" and released a live album with Caetano Veloso recorded at Carnegie Hall in 2004.
March 2013: Here Lies Love Debut and "Psychedelic Afternoon" Re-release
In March 2013, David Byrne debuted the stage production of "Here Lies Love" and re-released "Psychedelic Afternoon" with Sakamoto to support those affected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
October 2013: Death of Thomas Byrne
David Byrne's father, Thomas, passed away in October 2013.
2013: Love This Giant Tour Continues
David Byrne and St. Vincent's Love This Giant Tour continued into 2013.
May 2014: Collaboration with Anna Calvi
In May 2014, David Byrne collaborated with Anna Calvi on her EP "Strange Weather," covering songs by Keren Ann and Connan Mockasin.
June 2014: Death of Emma Byrne
David Byrne's mother, Emma, passed away in June 2014.
2014: Scottish Independence Referendum
David Byrne expressed his view against Scottish independence during the 2014 referendum.
2015: Contemporary Color Concerts
David Byrne organized Contemporary Color, two arena concerts featuring musical acts and color guard groups, in Brooklyn and Toronto in 2015.
August 2016: Collaboration with De La Soul
In August 2016, David Byrne was featured on De La Soul's album "And the Anonymous Nobody..." on the track "Snoopies."
2016: Contemporary Color Documentary
A documentary film about the Contemporary Color concerts, directed by the Ross brothers and produced by Byrne, was released in 2016.
2016: NEUROSOCIETY
David Byrne collaborated with Mala Gaonkar to create NEUROSOCIETY, an immersive theater performance, in 2016.
January 2018: Announcement of American Utopia
David Byrne announced his first solo album in 14 years, American Utopia, in January 2018.
2018: Birth of Grandson
David Byrne became a grandfather in 2018.
October 2019: American Utopia on Broadway and John Mulaney Special
In October 2019, David Byrne's American Utopia opened on Broadway. He also appeared in John Mulaney's children's musical comedy special John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch, performing "Pay Attention!" and contributing "Tiny Apocalypse" to the end credits.
February 29, 2020: Saturday Night Live Performance
On February 29, 2020, David Byrne performed on Saturday Night Live with John Mulaney, marking his third appearance on the show after performances with Talking Heads in 1979 and as a solo artist in 1989.
2020: Irish Citizenship
David Byrne obtained Irish citizenship in 2020.
2020: On the Autism Spectrum
In 2020, David Byrne shared his belief that he's on the autism spectrum.
2022: Theater of the Mind
David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar collaborated again in 2022 on the immersive theater production "Theater of the Mind" in Denver, Colorado.
2022: Collaboration on "This Is a Life"
In 2022, David Byrne co-wrote and performed "This Is a Life" for the film "Everything Everywhere All at Once," with Son Lux and Mitski, and later performed it at the 95th Academy Awards.
July 20, 2023: Broadway Debut of Here Lies Love and Musicians' Union Controversy
On July 20, 2023, "Here Lies Love" debuted on Broadway, amidst controversy with the musicians' union regarding the use of pre-recorded music. The show ultimately employed live musicians after the criticism.
2023: Attending the Met Gala
David Byrne arrived at the 2023 Met Gala on a Budnitz single speed bike.