Why one of the most famous frontmen in music history was despised by his bandmates-Brooke Ivey Johnson-Entertainment – Metro

Talking Heads broke up acrimoniously in 1991 (Picture: Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

David Byrne is a name synonymous with innovation and creativity in music – but he’s also more than a little controversial.

As the eccentric frontman of Talking Heads, Byrne redefined the boundaries of art rock, crafting a body of work that many believe to be one of the most impactful in music history.

However, behind beloved tracks like Burning Down the House and the existential musings of Once in a Lifetime lays a story of explosive conflict in the band.

Talking Heads emerged from the same New York punk scene that birthed icons like The Ramones and Blondie. Yet, from the outset, Byrne’s vision for the band was profoundly unorthodox.

While their peers leaned on raw aggression, Talking Heads channeled art-rock energy, with Byrne’s quirky vocal style and off-kilter songwriting earning devoted fans.

David Byrne was known to be something of a tyrant in the band (Picture: Rob Verhorst/Redferns)

They were decidedly one of the most intriguing acts of the MTV era – even if you didn’t like Talking Heads, you were sure to remember them.

Byrne’s intensity as a creative force, however, often clashed with his bandmates and earned him a deeply negative reputation.

Drummer Chris Frantz famously told the Los Angeles Times (via Ultimate Classic Rock): ‘Believe me, if you knew David Byrne, you would not be jealous of him.’

Why did the Talking Heads break up?

The seeds of discontent were sown long before the band officially dissolved in 1991, as Byrne’s bandmates weathered his mercurial moods and obvious belief that he was a creative genius set apart from the others by his brilliance.

Byrne had repeatedly expressed his desire to end Talking Heads, much to the disbelief of Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth, who both struggled to understand his enmity towards them. Essentially, Byrne believed he was destined for greater things than the band.

His bandmates assumed his outbursts were temporary: ‘We thought, ‘If we keep our cool, this will blow over, and we’ll get to do another Talking Heads record,’ Frantz recounted.

When Byrne finally announced the band’s split, it became clear that on some level he was intentionally creating friction to get a rise out of his bandmates. Frantz recalled Byrne shouting: ‘You should be calling me an a**hole.’

Frantz later described the split as unilateral, with Byrne leaving without consulting the others.

Byrne would later blame his behaviour on being an introvert, telling Live for Live Music: ’Your way of announcing your existence and communicating your thoughts to people is through performance, and then I can retreat into my shell after that, but I had made myself known to these people—what I was thinking and what I was feeling—so when that’s your only option, it’s a life saver.’

Byrne later admitted he was ‘unpleasant’ to his bandmates (Picture: Luciano Viti/Getty Images)

He also later revealed to People Magazine: ‘As a younger person, I was not as pleasant to be around. When I was working on some Talking Heads shows, I was more of a little tyrant,’ he says.

‘And then I learned to relax, and I also learned that collaborating with people, both sides get more if there’s a good relationship instead of me telling everybody what to do.’

He continued: ‘I think [the end] wasn’t handled well. It was kind of ugly.’

Will Talking Heads ever get back together?

Other members of the band remain hopeful for a reunion (Picture: Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)

While Frantz and Weymouth expressed hopes for a reunion, Byrne steadfastly refused.

In a frosty 2003 exchange, Byrne rebuffed Frantz’s suggestion of reuniting, emailing him: ‘I’ve told you before and I’ll say it again for the last time. I will never reunite with the Talking Heads. Please don’t bring this up again.’

Frantz remains open to a reunion. In his memoir Remain in Love, he said: ‘It would be nice if it could happen because, unlike many of our contemporaries, we’re all still alive.’

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