(born 1952) Guitarist/lead singer of the pioneering band Talking Heads, which formed in 1975.

Often miscategorized as punk, Talking Heads, clean-cut and preppy-looking, created a quirky experimental sound that became indicative of New York rock. Their first hit, “Psycho-killer,” contained lyrics in French about glory and words in English about a man upset by his lack of manners. In the 1980s, the band became increasingly involved in African American and world music, and, by the mid-decade, guest musicians joined them on records. Byrne has worked with theater artists Twyla Tharp and Robert Wilson, directed the “mockumentary” True Stories (1986) and shared an Oscar for the score for The Last Emperor (1987). Leaving the band in the late 1980s, he has collaborated with Latin American musicians and hosts a music show on PBS.