Thomas Dolby

Dolby was born Thomas Morgan Robertson in London, England, to (Theodosia) Cecil, née Spring Rice (1921–1984) and Martin Robertson (1911–2004), an internationally distinguished professor of Classical Greek Art and Archaeology at the University of London, Oxford University, and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Thomas Morgan Robertson (born 14 October 1958), known by the stage name Thomas Dolby, is an English musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur and teacher.

The stage name Thomas Dolby originated from a nickname "Dolby" that he picked up in the early 1970s, when he was "always messing around with keyboards and tapes".

The name derives from the name of the audio noise-reduction process of Dolby Laboratories used for audio recording and playback.

He adopted the stage name "Thomas Dolby" to avoid confusion with British singer Tom Robinson, who was popular when he began his career.

Early publicity implied that "Dolby" was a middle name, and that Dolby's full name was Thomas Morgan Dolby Robertson; this is legally incorrect, but he does sometimes informally go by the initials TMDR.

Dolby later attended Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, England, from 1975 to 1976, where he completed his A Levels.

One of his first jobs was a part-time position at a fruit and vegetable shop.

In his youth, Dolby lived or worked in France, Italy, and Greece.

Dolby came to prominence in the 1980s, releasing hit singles including "She Blinded Me with Science" (1982) and "Hyperactive!" (1984).

He has also worked as a producer and as a session musician.

In at least one interview in the 1980s, Dolby claimed, "I was born in Cairo, because my father is an archaeologist" — many subsequent articles have republished or reprinted this spurious claim.

At school in London, Dolby was good friends with Shane MacGowan of The Pogues and used to sit with him in the back row of the English Literature class.

Dolby described him as "extremely smart".

Dolby is associated with the new wave movement of the early 1980s, a form of pop music incorporating electronic instruments, but Dolby's work covers a wide range of musical styles and moods distinct from the high-energy pop sound of his few, better-known commercial successes.

After Dolby released "She Blinded Me with Science" in 1982, Dolby Laboratories expressed concern regarding the stage name.

Dolby's record label refused to make him change his name, and Dolby Labs did not raise the issue again until later.

After a lengthy legal battle, the court decided that Dolby Labs had no right to restrict the musician from using the name.

It was agreed that he would not release any electronic equipment using the name.

Dolby is therefore unrelated to Thomas "Tom" Dolby, who is a novelist, filmmaker, and son of the Dolby Laboratories founder Ray Dolby.

Originally released in the UK and US and including the songs "Europa and the Pirate Twins," "Airwaves," and "Radio Silence," the first releases of Dolby's first solo album, The Golden Age of Wireless (Harvest, 1982) did not include the signature hit, "She Blinded Me with Science."

After the five-song EP Blinded by Science introduced the catchy single, The Golden Age of Wireless was re-released with the single that, combined with its accompanying video, became Dolby's most commercially successful single, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The album was released a total of five times, each with changes in song order and included songs, or even including a different version of "Radio Silence" or extended remix of "She Blinded Me with Science."

The Golden Age of Wireless reached No. 13 on the Billboard album chart.

It juxtaposed themes of radio technology, aircraft, and naval submarines with those of relationships and nostalgia.

While much of the album's instrumentation is synthesisers and samplers, the album credits a long list of guest musicians as well, with instruments ranging from harmonica and violin to guitar and percussion.

Beginning in 1983, Dolby collaborated with a number of artists in an occasional studio-bound project called Dolby's Cube.

The project had no set line-up, and was essentially a forum for Dolby to release material that was more dance-oriented.

Dolby's Cube released a single in 1983 ("Get Out of My Mix"), another in 1985 ("May the Cube Be with You"), and performed soundtrack work for the film Howard the Duck in 1986.

Collaborators in Dolby's Cube at various junctures included Lene Lovich, George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic, Francois Kevorkian, and Lea Thompson.

In 1984, Dolby released his second LP, The Flat Earth (Capitol), which peaked at No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart and at No. 35 on the Billboard album chart in the US.

With a wide range of influences including nostalgic jazz, funk-tinged Motown R&B, and world music along with a strong electronic element, and featuring a slew of guest musicians including longtime Dolby collaborator Matthew Seligman on bass, Kevin Armstrong on guitar, Clif Brigden on percussion, and guest vocals from Robyn Hitchcock, Bruce Woolley, and others, The Flat Earth further established Dolby's wide range of talents as musician, songwriter, and producer.

The album included a cover of the Dan Hicks song "I Scare Myself."

"Hyperactive!"

was the first and most successful single from the album, peaking at No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart, making it Dolby's highest-charting single in his home country.

In the 1990s, Dolby founded Beatnik, a Silicon Valley software company whose technology was used to play internet audio and later ringtones, including the Nokia tune.

He was also the music director for TED Conferences.

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."

On the faculty at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University since 2014, Dolby leads Peabody's Music for New Media program, which enrolled its first students in the fall of 2018.