- The Talking Heads' trademark song, "Psycho Killer", was inspired by a phrase used by his art school friend, Barbara Conway. She used the phrase, "psycho killer", to describe things she thought were cool. Conway was murdered by a female stalker in the 1980s.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 as a member of the Talking Heads.
- When he was two years old, his parents moved the family to Hamilton, Ontario. Byrne lived in that area until he was 8 or 9 and then moved to Maryland, where he stayed until college.
- He is left handed but plays guitar right handed.
- Attended the Rhode Island School of Design in 1970, where he met fellow Talking Heads members, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, who became a couple in 1973. He transferred to the Maryland Institute of Art in 1971 and travelled in a band called Bizadi through 1972. He then dropped out of college for good. He returned to Providence in 1973 and formed a band called The Artistics with Frantz but they broke up in 1974 when Byrne moved to New York. He remained friends with Frantz and Weymouth who moved to New York in September 1974. Unable to find a willing bass player for their forming band, Frantz persuaded Weymouth to learn the bass guitar under the tutelage of David. They began rehearsing in January 1975 and had their first gig as Talking Heads in June that year at punk club CBGB.
- Attended the Rhode Island School of Design at the same time as director Gus Van Sant.
- Has never taken out US citizenship although he has lived in the U.S. since he was a child.
- Father, with Adelle Lutz, of daughter Malu Valentine (born in 1989).
- Uncle of actress China Chow and Maximillian Chow.
- Ex-brother-in-law of the late Tina Chow, a fashion icon of the 1980s, and Michael Chow.
- Attended Lansdowne High School in Baltimore, Maryland
- Born in Scotland, but was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
- Translated into English, the title of his 1989 album "Rei Momo" means "King of Carnival."
- Former member of Talking Heads, which broke up in 1991.
- His sister, Celia, is an epidemiologist specializing in breast cancer.
- Byrne was in a relationship with photographer and artist Andrea Kovacs from 1974 to 1976 and dancer Mary Clarke from 1976 to 1978. They were both graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design.
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