David Byrne and Alicia Keys are to collaborate at an upcoming charity concert in New York. The Talking Heads frontman and the bestselling R&B singer will perform together at Keys’ annual Black Ball fundraiser for Keep a Child Alive.
Byrne “immediately said yes”, he told Billboard, when organisers asked if he would be involved. “I’m flattered and excited,” he said.
Keys claims to have long been a fan of Byrne’s, calling the team-up “an honour”. “I’ve always been inspired by David Byrne and his ability to combine music and art,” she said. “[We] have been talking about his new music and what we’re going to perform and just the thought of it is amazing!”
As co-founder of Keep A Child Alive, Keys has participated in each of the 10 prior Black Balls, including three galas in London. Past events have hosted performances by Bono, Jay Z, Baaba Maal and Sade, while Keys has performed on stage with artists such as David Bowie, Adele and Pharrell Williams. Over the past decade, Keys’ charity has raised more than $18 million for children and families affected by Africa’s HIV/Aids epidemic.
While Byrne released six solo albums between 1989 and 2004, recent years have seen him become more active as a collaborator. Besides records with Brian Eno and St Vincent, the 62-year-old wrote a stage musical with Fatboy Slim’s Norman Cook and contributed to two songs on a recent EP by Anna Calvi.
As a member of the Talking Heads, Byrne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
