Music

It was in California, in the city of Coronado, that Tina Weymouth was born in 1950. At the age of twelve, she began her long history with music by playing folk guitar and joining a group that championed this genre.

Later, the young woman, a big fan of Bob Dylan, studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she met two of the future members of Talking Heads, Chris Frantz and David Byrne. Love at first sight, friendly, musical as well as romantic, since her romance with Chris Frantz, future drummer of Talking Heads, began at the time. Byrne and Frantz, both amateur musicians, founded their group and Tina then served as their driver. At the end of their studies, the two young boys wanted to conquer the Big Apple and the trio moved to New York. However, they were missing a bass player. Perhaps tired of being confined to the role of driver, the young amateur guitarist offered herself, working extra hard to perfect her playing of the instrument.

This is how Talking Heads was born in 1974, formed by the basic trio and Jerry Harrison, newcomer, singer and guitarist. After long hours of rehearsal, the group performed on the stage of the CBGB club in NYC. Two years later, they signed a contract with a record company. The story accelerated and a timid success awaited them with the release of their first album, "Talking Heads '77". A year later, a new opus and more frank success with "More Songs about building and Food". A few months later, a new album, quickly followed by their fourth, "Remain in light", produced with Brian Eno. This directed them to the top of the British charts who then saw their popularity take off. The releases and tours followed one after the other, as well as their desire to go elsewhere. Weymouth and her husband founded the "Tom Tom Club" while Byrne and Harrison each tried their hand at solo adventures.

The group didn't resist and announced their separation in 1991. Byrne slammed the door and left the ship. Regardless, the three remaining members decided to continue the adventure under the new name of "The Heads". They were stopped dead in their tracks by Byrne, who took them to court and dissolved the new group.

Each continued their journey separately, except for Weymouth and Frantz, still married today and who share their time between California and Brittany where "Tom Tom Club" also shot a video, making the locals rather proud to see the one who was named by Rolling Stone magazine as the 29th best bassist of all time on their land.

(MH with CMa/Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)
Photo: Tina Weymouth with The Tom Tom Club on stage at the Werchter Festival (Belgium) on July 4, 1982