David Byrne (born May 14, 1952) is a Scottish-American musician most associated with his role as a founding member and principal songwriter of Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and has worked with various media, including film, photography, opera, and non-fiction. He has received Grammy, Oscar, Tony, and Golden Globe awards and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Academy Awards
Best Original Score
Known For
Everything Everywhere All at Once
(2022)
Songs
The Last Emperor
(1987)
Original Music Composer
Married to the Mob
(1988)
Original Music Composer
Stop Making Sense
(1984)
Original Music Composer and Sound Supervisor
Young Adam
(2003)
Original Music Composer
Something Wild
(1986)
Main Title Theme Composer
This Must Be the Place
(2011)
Original Music Composer
David Byrne's American Utopia
(2020)
Music
Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World
(2016)
Musician
True Stories
(1986)
Original Music Composer and Songs
Full Filmography
Sound
Mea Culpa
(1981)
Music
America Is Waiting
(1981)
Music
The Catherine Wheel: Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation
(1982)
Music
Stop Making Sense
(1984)
Original Music Composer and Sound Supervisor
Something Wild
(1986)
Main Title Theme Composer
True Stories
(1986)
Original Music Composer and Songs
The Last Emperor
(1987)
Original Music Composer
Married to the Mob
(1988)
Original Music Composer
Young Adam
(2003)
Original Music Composer
The Vanguard
(2008)
Original Music Composer
This Must Be the Place
(2011)
Original Music Composer
Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World
(2016)
Musician
David Byrne's American Utopia
(2020)
Music
Everything Everywhere All at Once
(2022)
Songs
John Mulaney: Baby J
(2023)
Original Music Composer and Musician
Acting
The Blank Generation
(1976)
Self
Talking Heads Live in Toronto
(1977)
Self
Talking Heads: Rock Pop in Concert
(1980)
Talking Heads: Capitol Theatre
(1980)
Self - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Talking Heads - Live at Capitol Theater
(1980)
Self
Talking Heads - Live in Rome
(1980)
Self - Vocals, guitar
Talking Heads live at Montreux Jazz Festival
(1982)
Talking Heads vs. Television
(1984)
Self
Stop Making Sense
(1984)
Self - Vocals, Guitar
The Kitchen Presents: Two Moon July
(1986)
True Stories
(1986)
Narrator / Lip-Syncher
Dead End Kids
(1986)
Minister
Talking Heads: Storytelling Giant
(1988)
Self
Checking Out
(1989)
Bartender
Heavy Petting
(1989)
Self
Decade
(1989)
Self
Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter
(1990)
Self
Summer of Love
(1990)
Beleza Tropical
(1990)
Self
10000 Maniacs: MTV Unplugged
(1993)
Self
David Byrne: Between The Teeth
(1993)
Dancing Barefoot
(1995)
Self
Lulu on the Bridge
(1998)
"Laughing Man" Escort
Tori Amos: Sessions at West 54th
(1998)
Self
Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart
(1998)
Self
Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach: Sessions at West 54th
(1998)
Self - Host/Interviewer
The Art of Amália
(2000)
Introduction (English version)
25 Years of Punk
(2001)
Self
Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s
(2002)
Self
Lubbock Lights
(2003)
Self
David Byrne: Live At Union Chapel
(2003)
The Pogues Live at the Town and Country
(2004)
Self
TV Party
(2005)
Self
Fabricating Tom Zé
(2006)
Self
By the Ways, a Journey with William Eggleston
(2006)
Self
NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell
(2007)
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
David Byrne - Live from Austin Texas
(2007)
Self
Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell
(2008)
Self (archive footage)
Celia: The Queen
(2008)
Self
New York Rock at the BBC
(2008)
The Man Who Bottled Clouds
(2008)
Self
Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB
(2009)
Self
Tom Zé: Liberated Astronaut
(2009)
Wandering Heart
(2009)
Self
Beyond Ipanema
(2009)
Self
This Must Be the Place
(2011)
David Byrne
Talking Heads - Chronology
(2011)
Ride, Rise, Roar
(2011)
Self
La Casa del Ritmo: A Film About Los Amigos Invisibles
(2012)
Paul Simon: Under African Skies
(2012)
Self
Fathers and Songs: Music for Father's Day
(2013)
Self (archive footage)
Lennon or McCartney
(2014)
Self
We're Gonna Die
(2015)
David Byrne
Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall
(2016)
Self
Contemporary Color
(2016)
Temporary Color
(2016)
Well How Did We Get Here? A Brief History of Talking Heads
(2017)
Self
David Byrne: ACL Fest 2018
(2018)
Self
The Making of True Stories
(2018)
Self
Everything For All Reasons
(2019)
Self
John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch
(2019)
David Byrne
Museum Town
(2019)
Self
Triple-Chaser
(2019)
Narrator
Hream
(2019)
David Byrne
Café Tacvba - Un Segundo / MTV Unplugged
(2019)
Self - Voice
FeeLee. History of a Single Label
(2020)
Self
David Byrne's American Utopia
(2020)
Self
Social! Distance Dance Club
(2021)
Twyla Moves
(2021)
Self
Does Anybody Have Any Questions: Making Stop Making Sense
(2024)
Himself
Directing
Talking Heads Live in Toronto
(1977)
Director
Talking Heads - Live at Capitol Theater
(1980)
Director
True Stories
(1986)
Director
Talking Heads: Storytelling Giant
(1988)
Director
Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter
(1990)
Director
David Byrne: Between The Teeth
(1993)
Director
After 68
(1994)
Second Assistant Director
Îlé Aiyé
(2004)
Director
Crew
Writing
True Stories
(1986)
Writer
Talking Heads: Storytelling Giant
(1988)
Writer
David Byrne's American Utopia
(2020)
Writer
Production