Sheila Whiteley

Sheila Whiteley (née Astrup) was an English musicologist and the first professor of popular music in the UK, appointed at the University of Salford in 1999, where she helped establish the country's first degree in popular music in the early 1990s. She authored influential books including The Space Between the Notes (1992) on rock and counter-culture, Sexing the Groove (1997) on popular music and gender, and Too Much, Too Young (2005) on child stars, while also campaigning for fair use in music criticism. Known for her social commitment, she contributed to projects supporting young musicians and women in creative industries.