Editing Thomas Dolby (section)

==Early life==
Dolby was born Thomas Morgan Robertson in London, England,{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} to (Theodosia) Cecil, ''née'' Spring Rice (1921–1984) and [[Martin Robertson]] (1911–2004),<ref>{{Cite ODNB| url= http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-94618 |title= Robertson, (Charles) Martin (1911–2004), archaeologist and poet|last=Boardman|first= John|date= 3 January 2008|volume=1|language=en|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/94618}}</ref> professor of classical [[Greek Art]] and [[Archaeology]] at the [[University of London]], [[Oxford University]], and [[Trinity College, Cambridge]]. His older brother is the academic [[Stephen Robertson (computer scientist)|Stephen Robertson]]. In at least one interview in the 1980s, Dolby claimed, "I was born in [[Cairo]], because my father is an [[archaeologist]]"<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/06/23/seriously-folks-thomas-dolbys-actually-a-typical-englishman-loony/| title=Seriously, Folks, Thomas Dolby's Actually A Typical Englishman—loony| work= [[Chicago Tribune]]| date=23 June 1985}}</ref> — 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 later attended [[Abingdon School]] in Oxfordshire, England, from 1975 to 1976, where he completed his [[A Levels]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.thomasdolby.com/?p=532 |title=More Radiohead... and Shane MacGowan |access-date=21 April 2008 |website= blog.thomasdolby.com | publisher= Thomas Dolby|url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110717051615/http://blog.thomasdolby.com/?p=532 |archive-date=17 July 2011}}</ref> One of his first jobs was a part-time position at a fruit and vegetable shop.<ref name="fruit"/> In his youth, Dolby lived or worked in France, Italy, and Greece.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=[[Freff]] |date=May 1984 |title=Thomas Dolby, Intuition and Motion |magazine=Musician |page=43}}</ref>

Dolby spoke of his early musical experiences in a 2012 interview:
{{Blockquote|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 music|folk]] tunes—[[Bob Dylan|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.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://onedublin.org/2012/04/14/thomas-dolby-on-music-education-and-the-evolution-of-the-music-industry/| title=Thomas Dolby on Music Education and the Evolution of the Music Industry|date=14 April 2012 |website=OneDublin.org| first= James| last= Morehead | access-date= February 16, 2022}}</ref>}}