As a youngster, David Byrne was indecisive about whether he wanted to become a scientist or an artist. However, the decision was made for him once he realised how many years of boring training it would take to become a scientist. The inspiration for art school came through the explosion of graffiti, so Byrne headed off to art school at the Rhode Island School Of Design.
Throughout his time at art school, Byrne played as a solo performer and as a member of several rock bands. The first successful incarnation of these bands came through a joint partnership with a guy whom he had met in Baltimore called Marc Kehore. Bizadi was the name of the band but it didn’t last that long. Byrne had a real passion for music and became a part of a group called ‘The Artistics’ just before he got kicked out of Art College for his unorthodox approach to art. ‘The Artistics’ were a three-piece band made up of fellow Rhode Island students Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz.
Once Byrne had left art school, he headed off to New York City to find fame and fortune and was later joined by Tina and Chris. The band changed their names to the more accessible ‘Talking Heads’ and released their first album. They became new-wave warriors, in search of a classic tune and in turn the band became a massive hit worldwide.
He began working on solo material in 1981 releasing his first solo album entitled ‘Catherine Wheel’, which lead to the demise of the Talking Heads some 10 years later. He has since released nine solo albums and formed his own world music record label Luaka Bop. Artists to feature on the roster include 70’s Californian soul legend Shuggie Otis, queen of black Peruvian soul Susana Baca amongst many other world music contemporaries. Byrne is an artist in every sense of the word and has directed videos and film as well as making the odd art photograph.
David recently collaborated with house producer’s X-Press 2 to release the mammoth house classic ‘Lazy’ that reached number 2 in the UK charts. The track stayed in the charts for quite a while and with good reason. The catchy addictive chorus was ingrained in the memories of people everywhere and is still being played over the airwaves months after its release.
Protection - we do a lot of it these days. Sun cream for our skin, sunglasses for our eyes, condoms for you know where - but do you remember to protect your hearing?
Click to find all the information you need to look after your hearing now so you can enjoy music for years to come
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