David Byrne says he "had Asperger's"

Post Reply New Topic

David Byrne, formally of Talking Heads, says in a recent interview that he had mild autism, undiagnosed asperger's, but grew out of it. His "angular" music of his early career was a product of his aspie personality.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4809087a1860.html

I'm not surprised at all, I suspected David Byrne was an Aspie years ago. And later I read a 2003 article in which a former band mate of his, Tina Weymouth, said she thought he had autism. I think it was before he acknowledged it himself. Oh, here is that article...

http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/music/fe ... print.html

"David is a vampire, in a way," she told me. "Watch out for the autism. It might be something much more complex. Psychics have seen him and they say he just has a firewall around him."

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE-mxVxFXLg[/youtube]Here is Byrne being all Aspie in a mock interview (so funny).

Last edited by Diamonddavej on 04 Jan 2009, 6:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Once HAD Aspergers but grew out of it?? ROFLMAO!! !! !!

Poor lamb, no one told him once an aspie always an aspie!! Priceless! Bless

I always thought he was, just from the lyrics content and the physical presentation.

say something once, why say it again?

You talk a lot, but you're not saying anything.

Tina Weymouth had an unrequited crush on him, so you aren't going to hear anything complimentary from her.

GOD I HOPE HE LURKS HERE! Hi dave!

Last edited by Postperson on 04 Jan 2009, 6:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I just read a few other interviews of his, one with a neurologist.

http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2007/0 ... ge=all&p=y

Byrne says Asperger's was not a diagnosis but an explanation and that music was an avenue that helped him improve his social skills to the point, he claims, where he does not now think he has Asperger's anymore.

Financially successful people would have little reason to accept the 'full' dx, after all the proviso of the DSM is that a disability dx requires that the condition will have had a significant negative effect on your life. Besides, they're in the public eye and public disclosure can affect other family members (because it's genetic), so I'm not surprised that they 'hedge' about it.

same as it ever was
same as it ever was...

Looks like someone had found a cure. Do something wonderful that will get people to accept you and you will no longer be an outcast and they won't care for your quirks. Problem solved.

Hey, hey...I wanna be a rock star... topic

Every one's got a drug dealer on speed dial...

I'll even cut my hair and change my name...

Well, we all just a-wanna be a big rock star...

Partial lyrics from Nickelback's song Rockstar

I don't think you can grow out of it, maybe adjust too it, the symptoms do lessen as you get older.
David Byrne always seemed a little odd but familiar in his mannerisms, and facial expressions.

That was my take on it too. At age 48 I've adapted a huge amount and have learned many social skills. I can nearly pass as neuro typical now and just seem slightly eccentric to most people who don't know me well. While there is no "growing out of it" there is adaptation.

I looove Talking heads. Why be offended? lol

lol! He's probably just adapted a lot. I'm not surpised to hear that he's an Aspie.

Speaking as an Old Aspie, I say one can adapt to the world of the NT-s. It is like learning to ride a bike. Bike riding is NOT instinctive but once one learns and practices it becomes a habit. Similarly, for an Aspie, grasping body language and reading between the lines does not come naturally, but one can learn to do it and continue doing it by habit. I am an Aspie. I always was and I always will be. But I am well adapted to the world of the NT (it is something that took me over 40 years to do). Why do I "pass" for normal. Because it makes my life easier. Every now and again my Aspie nature shows through in the company of NT folks. They think I am a bit odd. America is a great place. One can be "odd" and not be put in a Gulag.

ruveyn

This pisses me off. You Can NOT, I repeat NOT grow out of AS. Once you have it, you always have it. It's people like this that really send the wrong message out there. It's inaccurate. People who are famous, or have been famous really should shut their traps on such things.

This comes as no surprise to me. I've always found the music and lyrics of the Talking Heads very intriguing. If I had to pick just one song as my all-time favorite among the thousands of songs and hundreds of bands I've heard, it would be "Once In a Lifetime". That song's music evokes some nice mental imagery in my mind (synesthetic, I suppose). The video is pretty cool, too. So's the live version. If his tour came anywhere near my location, I'd gladly go see the concert.

Would Mr. Byrne be saying "I had it but I outgrew it" if he knew there was such a subculture as we have here on WP? Maybe he's just not aware that there are people who identify with it.

We seem to be drawn to our own kind of people in terms of pop culture (aspies becoming fans of famous aspies). This kind of thing has me wishing I could re-live my younger years as a proud geek instead of masquerading as a heavy-metal freak like I did. (If I had it to do all over again, I'd invite all the other geeks I knew over for geeks-only parties. Guess what kind of music I'd have picked for such a gathering. )

Devo is another band that I find just as intriguing. Has anyone ever heard anything like this on Mark Mothersbaugh, by any chance? Considering the fact that Devo deliberately adopted the "geek" image long before anyone dared think it would ever be considered "cool". And, BTW, I'm "through being cool". (If by some weird chance, you found yourself on a road trip with me, you'd be getting subjected to a lot of Talking Heads and Devo songs. I have several CDs from each in my car and listen to them all the time.)

Has anyone else here ever watched True Stories, a movie made by David Byrne? In it, he's visiting a Texas town during it's 150th anniversary festivities. Hard to explain, but it's got stuff in it that I find amuzing, and I imagine many of you would also find amusing. John Goodman's in it, too, for any fans of his who might be reading this. It's hard to find, so you'll have to shop for it online.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092117/

Heh, I'd have never suspected it.

However, I've been told he's an as*hole.