The multi-talented Thomas Dolby will be at The Westport Library for a special book talk on Tuesday, July 16, discussing his latest volume, Prevailing Wind, with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and longtime Library supporter Chris Frantz.
The event kicks off at 4 pm — an afternoon start time to accommodate Dolby’s performance later that evening as part of the Totally Tubular Festival at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport (alongside Modern English and Men Without Hats).
This is Dolby’s only scheduled signing event in the tri-state area. All attendees who purchase a copy of Prevailing Wind may get the book and one additional item signed by the author. Registration is strongly recommended.
“Thomas is a true artist and an endlessly talented performer,” said Bill Harmer, Westport Library executive director. “We’re incredibly fortunate to have him here for his only local book talk and signing, and we’re thrilled to be able to present his conversation with our great friend Christ Frantz to the community.”
A renowned musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur, and teacher, Dolby played synthesizer for David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Roger Waters, and others during his eclectic career. He rose to fame on the strength of his hit 1982 single, “She Blinded Me With Science,” which he backed up two years later with a second smash, “Hyperactive!”
While the Englishman is primarily associated with the new wave movement of the early 80s, his later work expanded to cover a wide range of musical styles and moods. In the 90s, he founded Beatnik, a Silicon Valley software company that developed the polyphonic ringtone software and created the Nokia tune. Its technology was used in more than 500 million cell phones.
Dolby also has served as the music director for TED Conferences and joined the faculty at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University in 2014. In the latter role, he leads the Peabody’s Music for New Media program, which enrolled its first students in 2018.
Dolby has received four Grammy nominations in his career, two each in 1984 and 1988. Among his other honors, Dolby received a Lifetime Achievement in Internet Music award from Yahoo! Internet Life in 1998. In 2012, he was the recipient of The Moog Innovation Award, which celebrates “pioneering artists whose genre-defying work exemplifies the bold, innovative spirit of Bob Moog.” And in 2018, Dolby was awarded the Roland Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dolby also is an accomplished sailor and regatta champion with a passion for classic racing yachts.
Prevailing Wind is his first novel, billed as “a ruthless exploration of the vast chasm between rich and poor in the Progressive Age.” It is laced with breathtaking depictions of classic yacht racing moments and deep insights into the hearts and minds of working sailors and millionaire owners.
“Dolby takes us behind the scenes as an intense competition evolves into a high-stakes grudge match,” said America’s Cup Hall of Fame inductee Gary Jobson. “The quest for victory is an emotional roller coaster ride. Once you start reading, you won’t want to stop.”
Filmmaker J.J. Abrams described the book as “a ripping yarn … full of mysteries, passion, class struggle, and ruthless competitive spirit. Prevailing Wind is an absolute blast!”
Dolby’s memoir, The Speed of Sound: Breaking the Barriers Between Music and Technology, was published in 2018.
Frantz is a musician, producer, songwriter, and founding member of the Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club. A frequent guest of the Library and the host of the Library series Chris Frantz Presents, he also hosts the radio show Chris Frantz the Talking Head on WPKN 89.5 FM in Bridgeport. His recent memoir, Remain In Love, chronicles his artistic and musical journey, from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to his time as the drummer for Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club.
About the Book
As dark political clouds gather over Europe, the NYYC’s railroad barons control the U.S. from the squeaky leather couches of the 44th Street clubhouse. Far from the immigrant slums, the Suffragettes, and the Ludlow massacres, they wager small fortunes and pit their egos on their favorite distraction: big yacht sail racing. Its absolute pinnacle is the America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in world sport.
For two penniless brothers, it’s the chance of a lifetime: to get the heck out of Deer Isle and etch their names in Cup history. But they’ll have to fight for places with the rival West Bay crew. There are old feuds to be settled on and off the water.
