Thomas Dolby

The London-born English musician Thomas Morgan Robertson, known as Thomas Dolby, first gained attention in the early 1980s with the 1982 single She Blinded Me with Science and the 1984 single Hyperactive! He had earlier played keyboards in Lene Lovich's band and written songs for other acts before starting his solo career in 1981. His debut album, The Golden Age of Wireless (1982), was reissued with She Blinded Me with Science and reached number 13 on Billboard's album chart, while the single hit number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also produced records for Prefab Sprout and worked as a session musician. In 1993 he established Headspace, an interactive audio company later renamed Beatnik, and from 2001 to 2012 he served as musical director of the TED Conference. He composed for films and video games, played Stanley in Rockula (1990), and since 2014 has taught at the Peabody Institute. He has received four Grammy nominations.