Wonder Woman of the Week: Delia Derbyshire
This week's Wonder Woman is a lesser known founder of a massive cult classic. The British sci-fi television show Doctor Who has seen several actors, directors, and producers all well known for leaving their mark on the show's long legacy, but the often forgotten Delia Derbyshire was perhaps the most important figure in the show's post-production. Derbyshire created the show's iconic theme song, but her work did not end there. Derbyshire was born in 1931 in England shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and her mother sent her into the countryside to survive the German bombings of the country's cities. In primary school, Derbyshire excelled in mathematics and music- setting the stae for a combination that would take the entertainment world by storm.
As a young adult, Delia Derbyshire worked at a radio station that played classical music, and critics loved her ability to read records and DJ their favorite composers- garnering the young disc jockey high praise. Because of that praise, Derbyshire decided to join a workshop on music composition, and that's where her life really changed. Derbyshire began composing music for several different studios- including for television shows aired on the BBC, namely Doctor Who. Her electronic sound combining mathematical elements and classical inspirations created a unique style of music that made Derbyshire famous in the early realm of electronic music, and Derbyshire was no stranger to experimental art forms. She often combined poetry readings and natural sounds with electronic noises to create eclectic albums to the bewilderment and amazement of her peer and audiences. Her work with the band White Noise on the album An Electric Storm is considered one of the most important albums in the history of electronic music.
Unfortunately Delia Derbyshire's later life was riddled with alcoholism, and she died in 2001 from renal failure- caused by her alcohol consumption. Posthumously however, Derbyshire's work has inspired countless people. Her theme for Doctor Who has become a classic in the science fiction community as an irreplaceable melody to a cultural phenomenon of British modern history and her work in the field of electronic music helped create a new wave of music across the world. She experimented with the combination of mathematical algorithms and musical melodies with electronic instruments to create a new genre of music with fellow peers that continues to play a major factor in pop culture today.
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