Thomas Dolby
| Thomas Dolby | |
|---|---|
Dolby at the 2016 Texas Book Festival
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Thomas Morgan Robertson |
| Born |
14 October 1958 London, England |
| Genres | New wave, synthpop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, entrepreneur |
| Instruments | Keyboards, synthesizers, guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | Capitol/EMI Records, Giant/Warner Bros. Records, Invisible Hands Music |
| Associated acts | Whodini |
| Website | thomasdolby |
Thomas Morgan Robertson (born 14 October 1958), known by the stage name Thomas Dolby, is an English musician and producer. His hit singles include "She Blinded Me with Science" from 1982, and 1984 single "Hyperactive!". He has also worked in production and as a session musician, as a technology entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, and as the Music Director for the TED Conference. He is a Professor of the Arts at Johns Hopkins University.
Robertson was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s press releases that reported his birthplace as Cairo, Egypt. His father, Martin Robertson, was an internationally distinguished professor of classical Greek art and archaeology at the University of London, Oxford University, and Cambridge University (Trinity College). In his youth Thomas lived or worked in France, Italy and Greece. He attended Abingdon School in 1975–1976, completing his A Levels while there. One of his first jobs was a part-time position at a fruit and vegetable shop.
Thomas Dolby spoke of his early musical experiences in a 2012 interview:
"I sang in a choir when I was 10 or 11, and learned to sightread single lines, but other than that I don't have a formal education. I picked up the guitar initially, playing folk tunes—Dylan—then I graduated to piano when I got interested in jazz, listening to people like Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, and so on. The first electronic instruments started to become accessible in the mid-70s and I got my hands on a kit built synthesizer and never looked back."
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