David Byrne

Sound•Born May 14, 1952 (age 74)•Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK

Biography

David Byrne (/bɜːrn/; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American new wave band 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. Description above from the Wikipedia article David Byrne, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

8.0

Filmography

2026

Changing Lanes

as Self

Movie

2025

Breakdown: 1975

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2025

The Twits

as Gordon Sniffles (voice)

Movie

2025

Monk in Pieces

as Self

Movie

2025

We Want the Funk!

as Self

Movie

2025

SNL50: The Homecoming Concert

as Self

Movie

2025

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music

as Self

Movie

2024

Eno

as Self

Movie

2023

Homo Brasilis: Tom Zé, o Tropicalista Visionário

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2021

Social! Distance Dance Club

Movie

2021

Twyla Moves

as Self

Movie

2020

BREAK IT ALL: The History of Rock in Latin America

as Self

2020

David Byrne's American Utopia

as Self - Lead Singer & Performer

Movie

2020

FeeLee. History of a Single Label

as Self

Movie

2020

Stars in the House

as Self - Winner

2019

John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch

as David Byrne

Movie

2019

Café Tacvba - Un Segundo / MTV Unplugged

as Self - Voice

Movie

2019

Everything For All Reasons

as Self

Movie

2019

Triple-Chaser

as Narrator

Movie

2019

Hream

as David Byrne

Movie

2019

Museum Town

as Self

Movie

2018

The Making of True Stories

as Self

Movie

2018

Real Life

as Narrator / Self

Movie

2018

David Byrne: ACL Fest 2018

as Self

Movie

2017

Well How Did We Get Here? A Brief History of Talking Heads

as Self

Movie

2016

Contemporary Color

Movie

2016

WIRED's Autocomplete Interviews

as Self - Guest

2016

Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall

as Self

Movie

2016

Temporary Color

Movie

2015

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

as Self - Musical Guest

2015

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

as Self - Guest/Musical Guest

2015

We're Gonna Die

as David Byrne

Movie

2015

StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson

as Self

2014

Lennon or McCartney

as Self

Movie

2014

Late Night with Seth Meyers

as Self - Guest

2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

as Self

2013

Fathers and Songs: Music for Father's Day

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2012

Paul Simon: Under African Skies

as Self

Movie

2012

La Casa del Ritmo: A Film About Los Amigos Invisibles

Movie

2011

Talking Heads - Chronology

Movie

2011

The Jonathan Ross Show

as Self - Guest

2011

This Must Be the Place

as David Byrne

Movie

2011

Ride, Rise, Roar

as Self

Movie

2009

Tom Zé: Liberated Astronaut

Movie

2009

Beyond Ipanema

as Self

Movie

2009

Wandering Heart

as Self

Movie

2009

Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB

as Self

Movie

2008

Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2008

The Man Who Bottled Clouds

as Self

Movie

2008

New York Rock at the BBC

Movie

2008

Untitled Patton/Byrne Piece

Movie

2008

Celia: The Queen

as Self

Movie

2007

David Byrne - Live from Austin Texas

as Self

Movie

2007

NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Movie

2006

Fabricating Tom Zé

as Self

Movie

2006

By the Ways, a Journey with William Eggleston

as Self

Movie

2005

TV Party

as Self

Movie

2005

Stranger: Bernie Worrell on Earth

as Self

Movie

2004

The Pogues Live at the Town and Country

as Self

Movie

2004

Dennis Cleveland

Movie

2003

David Byrne: Live At Union Chapel

Movie

2003

Lubbock Lights

as Self

Movie

2003

Real Time with Bill Maher

as Self

2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

as Self - Musical Guest

2002

Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s

as Self

Movie

2001

25 Years of Punk

as Self

Movie

2000

The Art of Amália

as Introduction (English version)

Movie

1998

Tori Amos: Sessions at West 54th

as Self

Movie

1998

PJ Harvey: Sessions at West 54th

Movie

1998

Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach: Sessions at West 54th

as Self - Host/Interviewer

Movie

1998

Lulu on the Bridge

as "Laughing Man" Escort

Movie

1998

Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart

as Self

Movie

1998

David Byrne - Live From Teatro Gran Rex

as Self

Movie

1997

Sessions at West 54th

as Self - Host

1995

Dancing Barefoot

as Self

Movie

1994

Space Ghost Coast to Coast

as Self

1993

Late Show with David Letterman

as Self - Musical Guest

1993

10000 Maniacs: MTV Unplugged

as Self

Movie

1993

Between the Teeth

Movie

1991

Until the End of the World

as Self

Movie

1990

Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter

as Self

Movie

1990

Beleza Tropical

as Self

Movie

1989

The Simpsons

as David Byrne (voice)

1989

Decade

as Self

Movie

1989

Heavy Petting

as Self

Movie

1988

Checking Out

as Bartender

Movie

1988

Talking Heads: Storytelling Giant

as Self

Movie

1986

True Stories

as Narrator / Lip-Syncher

Movie

1986

The Kitchen Presents: Two Moon July

Movie

1986

Report From L.A.

as Himself

Movie

1986

Dead End Kids

as Minister

Movie

1985

The Max Headroom Show

as Self

1984

Stop Making Sense

as Self - Vocals, Guitar

Movie

1984

Talking Heads: The Name of this Programme is Once In A Lifetime

as Self

Movie

1982

Talking Heads: Live at Montreux Jazz Festival

Movie

1981

Talking Heads: Rock Pop in Concert

Movie

1980

Talking Heads: Live in Rome

as Self - Vocals, guitar

Movie

1980

Talking Heads: Capitol Theatre

as Self - Lead Vocals, Guitar

Movie

1976

The Blank Generation

as Self

Movie

1975

Saturday Night Live

as Self - Musical Guest

1975

Austin City Limits

as Self

1968

60 Minutes

as Self

1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self

1953

The Oscars

as Self

—

Talking Heads: 77

Movie

Personal Info

DepartmentSound

BirthdayMay 14, 1952

Place of BirthDumbarton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK

Popularity1.2