David Byrne was born on the 14th May 1952, in Dumbarton, Scotland, UK, and is a musician, composer and music producer, well known for founding the band of new wave and world beat entitled Talking Heads in 1974. For his work as a composer of soundtracks, he has received an Oscar and the Golden Globe Awards, and been rewarded with several Grammys. Along with other the members of Talking Heads, Byrne was inducted in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
How much is the net worth of David Byrne? It has been estimated by authoritative sources that the total size of his wealth is as much as $55 million, as of the data given at the end of 2017. Music is the main source of Byrne’s wealth, having been active in the entertainment industry since 1974.
David Byrne Net Worth $55 Million
To begin with, Byrne and his younger sister moved to Canada, and then the USA with their parents when he was seven. Byrne became interested in music in his early years, yet was rejected from choir in the middle school because of being “off – key”. David was educated at Lansdowne High School, then studied at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and later at the Maryland Institute College of Art.
Concerning his professional career, Byrne created Talking Heads with two classmates – Tina Weymouth and Chriz Fantz – in 1974. The group performed stylistically diverse new wave rock with numerous outside influences of funk, classical minimalism, African rhythms and others. By the time of the release of their last album in 1988, 10 albums of the group had entered the Billboard 200, and Talking Heads had become one of the most respected music groups. The band officially lasted until 1991, but five years later they gathered again as The Heads (without Byrne), and recorded the album “No Talking, Just Head”. Regardless, Byrne’s net worth had risen substantially.
Besides his work with Talking Heads, Byrne co-produced an album of art rock called “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts” (1981). He has also composed tracks for such artists as Twyla Tharp and Robert Wilson, and the soundtrack for the movie “The Last Emperor” (1987) directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, for which he won an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award in the category of the Best Soundtrack. David Byrne directed the film “True Stories” (1986), and subsequently produced several albums of Caribbean and Brazilian music, including by Tom Zé and Margareth Menezes. His notable works are the album “Rei Momo” (1989) and a documentary video called “The House of Life” (1989). His net worth rose steadily with these accomplishments.
Since 2007, he has been participating in the project Brighton Port Authority (or The BPA), a group formed by several British musicians headed by Norman Cook. What is more, Byrne has been active as a solo artist, and has released nine studio albums, five live albums, 14 singles and 12 soundtrack albums over the years.
In addition, David Byrne is an avid photographer and writer; his latest books are entitled “Bicycle Diaries” (2009) and “How Music Works” (2012) – overall, he has written nine books so far.
To summarise, all the above mentioned accomplishments have increased the outright size of David Byrne’s net worth.
Finally, in his personal life, he fell in love with designer Adelle Lutz in 1986, and the two married in the summer of 1987. The couple has one daughter named Malu Valentine, born in 1990, but David and Adelle divorced in 2004. He has also been in relationships with Louise Neri, an art curator, and artist Cindy Sherman. He is now an American citizen, and lives in New York City.
