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Sting



 
 
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, CBE
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 (born 2 October 1951), almost universally known by his stage name
Stage name

A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, comedians, musician, and professional wrestling....
 Sting, is an English
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 musician
Musician

A musician is a person who plays or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument....
 from Wallsend
Wallsend

Wallsend is a town in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall....
 in North Tyneside
North Tyneside

North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear in the North East England of England. Its seat is at the Town Hall, Wallsend.Created in 1974, the borough lies within the Historic counties of England of Northumberland....
. Prior to starting his solo career, he was the principal songwriter, lead singer and bassist
Bassist

A bass player is a musician who plays a double bass, bass guitar, or another low-pitched instrument, such as keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as tuba or sousaphone....
 of the rock band The Police
The Police

The Police were an English Power trio Rock music band consisting of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland . The band became globally popular in the late 1970s, playing a style of rock that was influenced by jazz, punk rock and reggae music....
. As a solo musician and member of The Police, Sting has sold over 100 million records, and received sixteen Grammy Awards for his work, receiving his first Grammy
Grammy Award

The Grammy Awards ?or Grammys?are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry....
 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance

The Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance has been awarded since 1980. From 1986 to 1989 the award was presented as the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance ....
 in 1981
Grammy Awards of 1981

The 23rd Grammy Awards were held February 25, 1981, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1980....
, and receiving an Oscar nomination
Academy Award for Best Song

The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the film industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ....
 for best song.

er was born in Wallsend
Wallsend

Wallsend is a town in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall....
 (an area of Newcastle Upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Situated on the north bank of the River Tyne, the city developed from a Roman Empire settlement called Pons Aelius, though it owes its name to the Newcastle Castle built in 1080, by Robert Curthose, the eldest son of...
 in the northeast of England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
) to Ernest Sumner and Audrey Cowell.






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Encyclopedia


Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, CBE
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 (born 2 October 1951), almost universally known by his stage name
Stage name

A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, comedians, musician, and professional wrestling....
 Sting, is an English
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 musician
Musician

A musician is a person who plays or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument....
 from Wallsend
Wallsend

Wallsend is a town in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall....
 in North Tyneside
North Tyneside

North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear in the North East England of England. Its seat is at the Town Hall, Wallsend.Created in 1974, the borough lies within the Historic counties of England of Northumberland....
. Prior to starting his solo career, he was the principal songwriter, lead singer and bassist
Bassist

A bass player is a musician who plays a double bass, bass guitar, or another low-pitched instrument, such as keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as tuba or sousaphone....
 of the rock band The Police
The Police

The Police were an English Power trio Rock music band consisting of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland . The band became globally popular in the late 1970s, playing a style of rock that was influenced by jazz, punk rock and reggae music....
. As a solo musician and member of The Police, Sting has sold over 100 million records, and received sixteen Grammy Awards for his work, receiving his first Grammy
Grammy Award

The Grammy Awards ?or Grammys?are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry....
 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance

The Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance has been awarded since 1980. From 1986 to 1989 the award was presented as the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance ....
 in 1981
Grammy Awards of 1981

The 23rd Grammy Awards were held February 25, 1981, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1980....
, and receiving an Oscar nomination
Academy Award for Best Song

The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the film industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ....
 for best song.

Biography


Early life

Sumner was born in Wallsend
Wallsend

Wallsend is a town in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall....
 (an area of Newcastle Upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Situated on the north bank of the River Tyne, the city developed from a Roman Empire settlement called Pons Aelius, though it owes its name to the Newcastle Castle built in 1080, by Robert Curthose, the eldest son of...
 in the northeast of England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
) to Ernest Sumner and Audrey Cowell. Ernest and Audrey had three more children after Gordon: a son (Philip) and two daughters (Angela and Anita). Audrey was a hairdresser and Ernest managed a dairy. The young Gordon would often assist his father with the early-morning milk-delivery rounds. Early on, Gordon's "best friend" was an old Spanish guitar with five rusty strings which had been left behind by an uncle who had emigrated to Canada.

He attended St Cuthbert's High School in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Situated on the north bank of the River Tyne, the city developed from a Roman Empire settlement called Pons Aelius, though it owes its name to the Newcastle Castle built in 1080, by Robert Curthose, the eldest son of...
. Later, he left the University of Warwick
University of Warwick

The University of Warwick is a British campus university located on the outskirts of Coventry, West Midlands , England and is University of Warwick#Academic standards as one of the country's leading universities....
 in Coventry
Coventry

Coventry is a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. With a population of 303,475 at the United Kingdom Census 2001 , Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom....
, after only one term. During this time, he would often sneak into nightclubs like the Club-A-Go-Go. Here, he would watch musicians such as Jack Bruce
Jack Bruce

John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scotland musician, musical composer and singer. He is best-known as an electric bass guitarist, harmonica player and piano, and was most famous as a vocalist and the bass guitarist for the 1960s rock band Cream ....
 and Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix

James Marshall Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter whose guitar playing continues to be a considerable influence on rock music....
, artists who would later influence his own music. After jobs as a bus conductor, a construction labourer, and a tax officer, he attended Northern Counties College of Education, (which later became part of Northumbria University
Northumbria University

Northumbria University is a New Universities located in Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England....
) from 1971 to 1974 and qualified as a teacher, doing some training in Alnwick. He then worked as a schoolteacher at St. Paul's First School in Cramlington
Cramlington

The town of Cramlington in the county of Northumberland is situated nine miles north of the city of Newcastle Upon Tyne in the north-east of England....
 for two years. His experiences there would inspire him to write two of the Police's most notable hits: "Don't Stand So Close to Me
Don't Stand So Close to Me

"Don't Stand So Close to Me" is a 1980 in music song and hit single by the United Kingdom rock music band The Police. It concerns a schoolgirl's crush on her young teacher and the teacher's nervousness about the situation....
" and "Roxanne
Roxanne (song)

"Roxanne" is a hit song by the Rock music band The Police, first released in 1978 in music as a single and on their album Outlandos d'Amour....
". Each was loosely based on one of his favourite books: Lolita
LOLITA

LOLITA is a natural language processing system developed by Durham University between 1986 and 2000. The name is an acronym for "Large-scale, Object-based, Linguistics Interactor, Machine translation and Analyzer"....
 and Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano de Bergerac (play)

Cyrano de Bergerac is a play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand based on the life of the real Cyrano de Bergerac.The entire play is written in verse, in rhyming couplets of 12 syllables per line, very close to the Alexandrine format, but the verses sometimes lack a caesura....
, respectively.

From an early age, Sumner knew that he wanted to be a musician
Musician

A musician is a person who plays or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument....
. His first music gig
Concert

A concert is a live performance, usually of music, before an audience. The music may be performed by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band....
s were wherever he could get a job. He performed evenings, weekends, and during breaks from college and from teaching. He played with local jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 bands such as the Phoenix Jazzmen, the Newcastle Big Band, and Last Exit
Last Exit (British band)

The British jazz fusion band Last Exit was formed in Newcastle upon Tyne England in 1974, and is best remembered as the group Sting was in before finding stardom with The Police....
.

Origin of nickname

Sting has stated that he gained his nickname while with the Phoenix Jazzmen. He once performed wearing a black and yellow sweater with hooped stripes that bandleader Gordon Solomon had noted made him look like a bumblebee
Bumblebee

A bumblebee is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae; there are over 250 known species primarily occurring in the Northern Hemisphere....
; thus Sumner became "Sting". In a press conference filmed in the movie Bring on the Night
Bring On the Night

'Bring on the Night' is a 1986 live album by Sting recorded over the course of several live shows in 1985 and released in 1986. "Bring on the Night" is a song by The Police from their 1979 album Reggatta de Blanc....
, he jokingly stated when referred to by a journalist as Gordon, "My children call me Sting, my mother calls me Sting, who is this Gordon character?"

The Police

In January 1977, Sting moved from Newcastle to London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, and soon thereafter he joined Stewart Copeland
Stewart Copeland

Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the musical band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks....
 and Henry Padovani
Henry Padovani

Henry Padovani is a Corsican musician, who is noted for having been the original guitarist for The Police. In 1977, he was replaced by Andy Summers....
 (who was soon replaced by Andy Summers
Andy Summers

Andy Summers is an England guitarist and composer best known for his work in The Police. Summers' primary guitars are the Fender Telecaster, Fender Stratocaster, and various Hamer Guitars models when playing rock; and Gibson Guitar Corporation electric guitars when playing jazz fusion and jazz....
) to form the New Wave band The Police
The Police

The Police were an English Power trio Rock music band consisting of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland . The band became globally popular in the late 1970s, playing a style of rock that was influenced by jazz, punk rock and reggae music....
. Between 1978 and 1983, they released five chart-topping albums and won six Grammy Award
Grammy Award

The Grammy Awards ?or Grammys?are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry....
s.

Although their initial sound was punk inspired, The Police soon switched to reggae
Reggae

Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s.While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Music of Jamaica, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady....
-tinged rock and minimalist pop
Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
. Their last album, Synchronicity
Synchronicity (album)

Synchronicity is the fifth and final studio album by The Police, released in 1983. Their most popular release together, Synchronicity includes the number one single, "Every Breath You Take."...
, which included their most successful song, "Every Breath You Take
Every Breath You Take

"Every Breath You Take" is a song written by Sting and originally performed by The Police. It was released on their 1983 album Synchronicity ....
", was released in 1983.

While never formally breaking up, after Synchronicity the group agreed to concentrate on solo projects. As the years went by the band members, particularly Sting, dismissed the possibility of reforming. In 2007, however, the band reformed and undertook a world tour
The Police Reunion Tour

The Police Reunion Tour was a 2007-2008 worldwide concert tour by The Police, marking the 30th anniversary of their beginnings. At its conclusion, the tour became the third highest grossing tour of all time, with revenues reaching over $340 million....
.

Early solo work

In September 1981, Sting made his first live solo appearance, performing on all four nights of the fourth Amnesty International
Amnesty International

Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated." Founded in London, England in 1961, AI draws its attention to human rights abuses and...
 benefit The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
The Secret Policeman's Balls

The shows have yielded movies, TV specials, home-videos, albums and books that have been distributed worldwide and had a considerable international impact....
 at the invitation of producer Martin Lewis
Martin Lewis

Martin Neil Lewis is a United States-based England humorist, writer, radio/TV host, producer and Marketing strategy. He is known for his participation in a variety of projects in the arts and entertainment worlds including his work as the co-creator and co-producer of the The Secret Policeman's Balls benefit shows for Amnesty Internatio...
. He performed solo versions of "Roxanne
Roxanne (song)

"Roxanne" is a hit song by the Rock music band The Police, first released in 1978 in music as a single and on their album Outlandos d'Amour....
" and "Message in a Bottle
Message in a Bottle (song)

"Message in a Bottle" is a 1979 song by The Police, from their second album, Reggatta de Blanc.The song is ostensibly about a castaway on an island, who sends out a message in a bottle to seek help....
", playing the guitar.

He also led an all-star band (dubbed "The Secret Police") on his own arrangement of Bob Dylan's, "I Shall Be Released
I Shall Be Released

"I Shall Be Released" is a 1967 song written by Bob Dylan.The Band played it on their debut album, Music from Big Pink , with Richard Manuel singing lead vocals, and Rick Danko and Levon Helm harmonizing in the chorus....
". The band and chorus included Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton

Eric Patrick Clapton Order of the British Empire is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. He is "probably most famous for his mastery of the Stratocaster guitar." Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream , and as a solo performer, being the only person to...
, Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck

Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an England rock music guitarist. He was one of the three noted guitarists — the others being Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page — to have played with The Yardbirds....
, Phil Collins
Phil Collins

Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, Royal Victorian Order, is an England singer-songwriter, drummer, keyboardist and actor best known as the lead singer and drummer of England progressive rock group Genesis and as a Grammy Award and Academy Award-winning solo artist....
, Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof

Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof KBE, known as Bob Geldof , is an Republic of Ireland singer, songwriter, actor and political activist who became famous as a member of the Rock music The Boomtown Rats....
 and Midge Ure
Midge Ure

Midge Ure Order of the British Empire is a guitarist, singer, Keyboard instrument, and songwriter. He had particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in a number of bands, including Slik, Thin Lizzy, The Rich Kids, Visage and most notably as frontman of the band Ultravox....
, all of whom (except Beck) later worked together on Live Aid
Live Aid

Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on . The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia....
.

His performances were featured prominently in the album and movie of the show and drew Sting major critical attention. Sumner's participation in The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball

The show took place in London in September 1981. It was a successor to the 1979 show The Secret Policeman's Ball .The show was directed by Monty Python alumnus John Cleese and produced by Martin Lewis & Peter Walker ....
 was the beginning of his growing involvement in raising money and consciousness for political and social causes.

In 1982 he released a solo single, "Spread a Little Happiness
Spread a Little Happiness

Spread a Little Happiness is a song by England musical comedy composer Vivian Ellis from his 1929 musical Mr. Cinders. Ellis was suffering from a fever of 103 degrees when he wrote this song....
" from the film version of the Dennis Potter
Dennis Potter

Dennis Christopher George Potter was an England dramatist, best known for The Singing Detective. His widely acclaimed television dramas mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social....
 television play Brimstone and Treacle
Brimstone and Treacle

Brimstone and Treacle is a 1976 play by Dennis Potter which is best known via adaptations as a 1976 BBC television play and a 1982 film co-starring Sting ....
. The song was a re-interpretation of a song from the 1920s musical Mr. Cinders
Mr. Cinders

Mr. Cinders is a musical theater. The music is by Vivian Ellis & Richard Myers , and the libretto by Clifford Grey & Greatorex Newman. The story is an inversion of the Cinderella fairy tale with the gender roles reversed....
 by Vivian Ellis
Vivian Ellis

Vivian Ellis was an England musical comedy composer best known for the song "Spread a Little Happiness" and the theme "Coronation Scot"....
, and was a surprise Top 20 hit in the UK.

1980s

Sting's first solo album, 1985's The Dream of the Blue Turtles
The Dream of the Blue Turtles

The Dream of the Blue Turtles is the first solo album released by Sting . It includes ten tracks and was released in 1985, only a year after The Police had unofficially broken up....
, featured a cast of accomplished jazz musicians, including Kenny Kirkland
Kenny Kirkland

Kenneth David ?Kenny? Kirkland was an American pianist/keyboardist. Considered by many to be one of the most important and influential pianists of his generation, he is most often associated with Sting , Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, and Kenny Garrett....
, Darryl Jones
Darryl Jones

Darryl Jones , also known as "The Munch", is an United States bass guitarist. He is highly regarded for his stylish bass-playing in jazz, blues, and rock music....
, Omar Hakim
Omar Hakim

Omar Hakim is a famous drummer noted in jazz, jazz fusion and pop music. He currently endorses Pearl drums.Among the notable artists he has played with are Anita Baker, Sting , Weather Report, Mariah Carey, Madonna , David Bowie, Miles Davis, Everything but the Girl, Marcus Miller, Dire Straits, Kazumi Watanabe and many others....
, and Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis

Branford Marsalis is an United States saxophonist, composer and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque....
. It included the hit single "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free

"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" is the first single released from Sting solo debut album The Dream of the Blue Turtles. It is also the opening track of the album, and is featured on Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 as well as The Very Best of Sting & The Police....
". The single included a fan favourite non-LP track titled "Another Day". The album also yielded the hits "Fortress Around Your Heart
Fortress Around Your Heart

"Fortress Around Your Heart" is a song from Sting 's 1985 album The Dream of the Blue Turtles. The song was also released as a single, and reached #8 and #49 on the United States and United Kingdom singles charts, respectively....
", "Russians", and "Love is the Seventh Wave". Within a year, it reached Triple Platinum. This album would help Sting garner a Grammy
Grammy Award

The Grammy Awards ?or Grammys?are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry....
 nomination for Album of the Year. The film Bring on the Night
Bring on the Night (film)

Bring on the Night is a 1985 documentary film, directed by Michael Apted, which focuses on the jazz-inspired project and band led by the British musician Sting during the early stages of his solo career....
, directed by Michael Apted
Michael Apted

Michael David Apted, Order of St Michael and St George is an England Film director, Film producer, screenwriter and actor. He is one of the most prolific British film directors of his generation but is best known for his work on the Up series of documentaries....
, documented the formation of the band and its first concert in France.

Also in 1985, he sang the introduction and chorus to "Money for Nothing
Money for Nothing (song)

"Money for Nothing" is a song recorded by British group Dire Straits, which first appeared on their 1985 in music album Brothers in Arms and subsequently became an international hit when released as a single ....
", a groundbreaking song by Dire Straits
Dire Straits

Dire Straits were a United Kingdom Rock music, formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers , and managed by Ed Bicknell....
 (he was given co-writer status and receives royalties based on his somewhat minor performance, supposedly because he reused his melody from The Police hit "Don't Stand So Close to Me" for his vocal parts. It is one of only two shared songwriting credits on any Dire Straits album). He performed this song with Dire Straits at the Live Aid Concert at Wembley Stadium. Sting also provided a short guest vocal performance on the Miles Davis
Miles Davis

Miles Dewey Davis III was an United States jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer.Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Davis was at the forefront of almost every major development in jazz from World War II to the 1990s: he played on various early bebop records and recorded one of the first cool jaz...
 album You're Under Arrest
You're Under Arrest (album)

You're Under Arrest is a 1985 album recorded by Miles Davis that saw Miles mix pop music tunes with political statements about racism, pollution and war....
. He also sang backing vocals in Arcadia
Arcadia (band)

Arcadia were the pop music band formed in 1985 in music by Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Andrew Taylor of Duran Duran, during a break in that band's schedule....
's single "The Promise
The Promise (Arcadia song)

The Promise was the third single released by the Duran Duran off-shoot band, Arcadia . It was released by Parlophone Records in 1986 and was the group's second UK single....
" from their only album, So Red the Rose
So Red the Rose

So Red The Rose is the platinum-selling album by the Duran Duran-spinoff group Arcadia , which was released in 1985 ? the only album the band ever released....
. He also contributed a version of "Mack the Knife
Mack the Knife

Mack the Knife or The Ballad of Mack the Knife, originally Die Moritat von Mackie Messer, is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their music drama Die Dreigroschenoper, or, as it is known in English language, The Threepenny Opera....
" to the Hal Willner
Hal Willner

Hal Willner is an United States music producer working in recording, films, TV and live events. He is best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical styles ....
-produced tribute album Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill
Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill

Lost In The Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill is a 1985 in music tribute album to German-American composer Kurt Weill. It was executive-produced by Hal Willner and John Telfer, and produced by Hal Willner and Paul M....
.

Sting released ...Nothing Like the Sun
...Nothing Like the Sun

?Nothing Like the Sun is a 1987 double album by Sting . The title comes from Shakespeare's sonnets #130 , which Sting used in the song "Sister Moon"....
 in 1987, including the hit songs "We'll Be Together
We'll Be Together (Sting song)

"We'll Be Together" is a song performed by Sting on his 1987 album Nothing Like the Sun. The song was also released as a single, and reached #7 and #41 on the U.S....
", "Fragile
Fragile (song)

"Fragile" is a song composed by England musician Sting from his 1987 album ?Nothing Like the Sun. Released as a single the following year, it placed to number 70 on the UK Singles Chart....
", "Englishman in New York
Englishman in New York

"Englishman in New York" is a song by Sting , from his 1987 album ...Nothing Like the Sun. The "Englishman" in question is the famous eccentric Quentin Crisp....
", and "Be Still My Beating Heart", dedicated to his recently-deceased mother. It eventually went Double Platinum. The song "The Secret Marriage" from this album was adapted from a melody by German composer Hanns Eisler
Hanns Eisler

Hanns Eisler was a Germany and Austrian composer....
, and "Englishman In New York" was about the eccentric writer Quentin Crisp
Quentin Crisp

Quentin Crisp , born Denis Charles Pratt, was an England writer and raconteur. He became a gay icon in the 1970s after publication of his memoir, The Naked Civil Servant, brought to the attention of the general public his defiant exhibitionism and longstanding refusal to remain in the closet....
. The album's title is taken from William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English people poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist....
's Sonnet 130
Sonnet 130

William Shakespeare Sonnet CXXX mocks the conventions of the garish and flowery courtly sonnets in its realistic portrayal of Shakespeare's sonnets#The Dark Lady....
.

Soon thereafter, in February 1988, he released Nada como el sol
Nada Como el Sol

Nada como el sol is an Extended play released by Sting , containing five tracks from the album ...Nothing Like the Sun performed in Spanish and Portuguese....
, a selection of five songs from Sun sung (by Sting himself) in Spanish
Spanish language

Spanish or Castilian is a Romance languages that originated in northern Spain, and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile and evolved into the principal language of government and trade....
 and Portuguese
Portuguese language

Portuguese is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia and Portugal. It is derived from the Latin language spoken by the Romanization Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula around 2000 years ago....
. Sting was also involved in two other recordings in the late 1980s, the first in 1987 with noted jazz arranger Gil Evans
Gil Evans

Gil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader, active in the United States. He played a seminal role in the development of cool jazz, modal jazz, free jazz and jazz-rock, and collaborated extensively with Miles Davis....
 who placed Sting in a big band setting for a live album of Sting's songs (the CD was not released in the U.S.), and the second on Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa

Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, electric guitarist, record producer, and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock music, jazz, electronic music, orchestral, and musique concr?te works....
's 1988 Broadway the Hard Way
Broadway the Hard Way

Broadway the Hard Way is a Frank Zappa live album recorded at various performances along his 1988 world tour. It was first released as a 9-track vinyl through Zappa's mail order label Barking Pumpkin in October 1988, and subsequently as a 17-track CD through Rykodisc in 1989....
 album, where Sting performs an unusual arrangement of "Murder By Numbers", set to the tune "Stolen Moments" by jazz composer Oliver Nelson
Oliver Nelson

Oliver Edward Nelson was an United States jazz Saxophone, clarinetist, arranger and composer....
, and "dedicated" to fundamentalist evangelist Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Swaggart

Jimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal preacher and pioneer of televangelism. In the 1980's Jimmy Swaggart's television programming was extremely popular....
.

October 1988 saw the release of Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky was a Russian-born composer, considered by many to be the most influential composer of 20th century music. He was a quintessentially Cosmopolitanism Russian who was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people of the century....
's The Soldier's Tale with the London Sinfonietta conducted by Kent Nagano
Kent Nagano

__FORCETOC__Kent Nagano is an United States conducting and opera administrator....
. It featured Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave

Vanessa Redgrave Order of the British Empire is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy and Tony Award winning England actor. She is the most famous member of the Redgrave family, the world renowned theatrical dynasty....
, Sir Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen

Sir Ian Murray McKellen, Order of the Companions of Honour, Order of the British Empire , is an England actor of theatre and film, the recipient of the Tony Award and two Academy Awards nominations....
 and Sting in the role of the soldier.

1990s

Sting's 1991 album The Soul Cages
The Soul Cages

The Soul Cages is the third studio album released by Sting . Released in 1991, it became his second #1 album in the United Kingdom. While a relatively little-known album to casual fans, with a similar lack of popularity to 1996's Mercury Falling, this very personal and introspective album spawned four singles, "All This Time ", "Why S...
 was dedicated to his recently deceased father and included the Top 10 song "All this Time"
All This Time (Sting song)

"All This Time" is a 1991 in music single by Sting . It was first released on Sting's 1991 album The Soul Cages. The song was the first single from album....
, which reached #5 on the U.S. Pop chart, and the Grammy-winning "Soul Cages". The album eventually went Platinum. The following year, he married Trudie Styler
Trudie Styler

Trudie Styler is an actress and producer. She is married to the musician Sting ....
 and was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in music from Northumbria University
Northumbria University

Northumbria University is a New Universities located in Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England....
. In 1993, he released the album Ten Summoner's Tales
Ten Summoner's Tales

Ten Summoner's Tales is the fourth solo studio album by the Rock music musician Sting . The title is a combined pun of his given name, Gordon Sumner, and a character in Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales, the summoner....
, which went Triple Platinum in just over a year. Ten Summoner's Tales was nominated for the Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize

The Mercury Prize, formerly the 'Mercury Music Prize' and currently known as the 'Nationwide Mercury Prize' for Sponsor reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland....
 in 1993 and nominated for the Grammy Award
Grammy Award

The Grammy Awards ?or Grammys?are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry....
 for Album of the Year in 1994. The title is wordplay on his surname, Sumner and The Summoner's Tale, one of The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century . The tales, some of which are originals and others not, are contained inside a frame tale and told by a collection of pilgrims on a pilgrimage from London Borough of Southwark to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathed...
. The single, "Fields of Gold" had moderate success on radio airways. Concurrent video albums were released to support Soul Cages (a live concert) and Ten Summoner's Tales (recorded during the recording sessions for the album).

In May 1993, Sting released a cover of his own classic Police song from the Ghost in the Machine
Ghost in the Machine (album)

Ghost in the Machine is the fourth album by The Police, released in 1981 . Much of the material in this album was inspired by Arthur Koestler's The Ghost in the Machine, which also donated the title....
 album, "Demolition Man" for the Demolition Man
Demolition Man

Demolition Man may refer to:*Demolition Man , a 1993 film from Warner Brothers starring Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock....
 film.

Sting reached a pinnacle of success in 1994. Together with Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams, Order of Canada, Order of British Columbia is a Canada Rock music singer-songwriter and photographer. Rolling Stone magazine describes Adams as having an ?unerring gift for radio-friendly pop hooks" and in 1992, Adams won the Grammy Awards of 1992, for "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media" fo...
 and Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart

Roderick David "Rod" Stewart Order of the British Empire is a British singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England and currently residing in Epping....
, they performed the chart-topping song "All For Love
All for Love

All for Love or, the World Well Lost, is a heroic drama by John Dryden written in 1677. Today, it is Dryden?s best-known and most performed play ....
" from the film The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers (1993 film)

The Three Musketeers is a 1993 in film film version of the The Three Musketeers from Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Stephen Herek from a screenplay by David Loughery and starring Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell and Oliver Platt....
. The song stayed at the top of the U.S. charts for five weeks and went Platinum; it is to date Sting's only song from his post-Police career to top the U.S. charts. In February, he won two more Grammy Awards and was nominated for three more. The Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music, founded in 1945, is an independent music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It has an enrollment of approximately 4,000 students and a 2008 faculty of approximately 500....
 gave him his second honorary doctorate of music degree in May. In November, he released a greatest hits
Greatest hits

A greatest hits album is a compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular music artist or band. To increase the appeal of the album – especially to people who already own the previously released material – it is common to include remixes or alternate takes of popular songs or new material, with new son...
 compilation called Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting, which eventually was certified Double Platinum.

Sting's 1996 album, Mercury Falling
Mercury Falling

Mercury Falling is the fifth studio album released by Sting . The album was marked by its tight studio production and use of brass reminiscent of recordings made at FAME Studios in the 1960s....
 debuted strongly with the single "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot", but it dropped quickly on the charts. He reached the Top 40 with two singles the same year with "You Still Touch Me" (June) and "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying
I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying

"I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying" is a Sting song from his 1996 album Mercury Falling. The song was also released as a single, and reached #94 and #54 on the U.S....
" (December) (which became a country music hit the next year in a version recorded with American country singer Toby Keith
Toby Keith

Toby Keith Covel is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums ? 1993's Toby Keith , 1994's Boomtown , 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package "Noogies for Liberals" for various divisions of Mercury Records before ex...
). During this period, Sting was also recording music for the upcoming Disney film Kingdom of the Sun, which went on to be reworked into The Emperor's New Groove
The Emperor's New Groove

The Emperor's New Groove is an United States animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures through Buena Vista Distribution on December 15, 2000....
. The film went through drastic overhauls and plot changes, many of which were documented by Sting's wife, Trudie Styler
Trudie Styler

Trudie Styler is an actress and producer. She is married to the musician Sting ....
. She captured the moment he was called by Disney who then informed him that his songs would not be used in the final film. The story was put into a final product: The Sweatbox, which premičred at the Toronto Film Festival. Disney currently holds the rights to the film and will not grant its release. That same year Sting also released a little-known CD-ROM called All This Time, which provided music, commentary and custom computer features describing Sting and his music from his perspective.

Also in 1996, Sting provided some vocals for the Tina Turner
Tina Turner

Tina Turner is an United States singer and actress whose career has spanned over 50 years and who has won numerous awards. Her achievements in the Rock genre have led to her being referred to as "The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll"....
 single "On Silent Wings
On Silent Wings

"On Silent Wings" is a song by Tina Turner with guest vocals from Sting . Released in April of 1996 in support of Turner's Wildest Dreams album, the single performed reasonably well on the U.S....
" as a part of her Wildest Dreams
Wildest Dreams

Wildest Dreams is the ninth solo album by Tina Turner, released on Parlophone/Virgin Records in 1996, which went double platinum in the UK and on the European Charts....
 album. Sting has also co-operated with Greek
Greeks

The Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in Greek diaspora communities around the world....
 popular singer George Dalaras
George Dalaras

George Dalaras , also possibly spelled as Yorgos or Giorgos Dalaras, is a Greece singer. He is of international fame and has recently been selected as a Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador....
, giving a common concert in Athens
Athens

Athens , the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the List of cities by time of continuous habitation, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
.

"Moonlight", a rare jazz performance by Sting for the 1995 remake of Sabrina
Sabrina (1995 film)

Sabrina is a 1995 in film romantic comedy film adapted by Barbara Benedek and David Rayfiel, based on the Sabrina , which in turn was based upon a play entitled Sabrina Fair....
, written by Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman and John Williams, was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television.

2000s

The Emperor's New Groove
The Emperor's New Groove

The Emperor's New Groove is an United States animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures through Buena Vista Distribution on December 15, 2000....
 soundtrack was released with complete songs from the previous version of the film, which included Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts

Rascal Flatts is an American country pop band founded in Columbus, Ohio. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus , and Joe Don Rooney ....
 and Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin

Shawn Colvin is a Grammy Award-winning United States singing, songwriter and musician....
. This is seen by many as a move on Disney's part to soothe the relationship with Sting and to keep open the door for future projects. The final single used to promote the film was "My Funny Friend and Me".

Sting's September 1999 album Brand New Day
Brand New Day

Brand New Day is Sting 's sixth solo album. It peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 and sold over 3,000,000 copies. The song "Desert Rose" prominently features popular Algerian Ra? singer Cheb Mami....
 included the Top 40 hits "Brand New Day" and "Desert Rose
Desert Rose (Sting song)

"Desert Rose" is a hit single by Sting from his album Brand New Day . The song peaked at #17 in the US charts.The song is noted for Sting's duet performance with Algerian ra? singer Cheb Mami, creating a distinct world music feel to the song....
". The album went Triple Platinum by January 2001. In 2000, he won Grammy Awards for Brand New Day and the song of the same name. At the awards ceremony, he performed "Desert Rose" with his collaborator on the album version, Cheb Mami
Cheb Mami

Cheb Mami is an Algerian-born ra? singer. His birth was in Graba-el-wed, a populous quarter of Saida. Located 170 kilometres south of Oran, the city of Saida is on the high mesas of southwestern Algeria....
. For his performance, the Arab-American Institute Foundation gave him the Khalil Gibran
Khalil Gibran

Khalil Gibran , was a Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer. Born in the town of Bsharri in modern-day Lebanon , as a young man he emigrated with his family to the United States where he studied art and began his literary career....
 Spirit of Humanity Award. However, Sting was criticised for appearing in a Jaguar
Jaguar (car)

Jaguar Cars, Ltd. is an Automotive_industry of luxury and executive cars operating under the Jaguar marque. The company's headquarters are in Coventry, England, where it was founded by William_Lyons in 1922....
 advertisement using "Desert Rose" as its backing track, particularly as he was a notable environmentalist.

In February 2001 he won another Grammy for his rendition of "She Walks This Earth (Soberana Rosa)" on A Love Affair: The Music Of Ivan Lins. His song "After The Rain Has Fallen" made it into the Top 40. His next project was to record a live album at his Tuscan
Tuscany

Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of and a population of about 3.6 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence.Tuscany is known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy....
 villa, which was to be released as a CD and DVD, as well as being simulcast in its entirety on the internet. The CD and DVD were to be entitled On such a night and was intended to feature re-workings of Sting favourites such as "Roxanne" and "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free." The concert, however, was scheduled for September 11, 2001 and due to the terrorist attacks in America that day, the project was altered in various ways. The webcast was shut down after one song (a reworked version of "Fragile
Fragile (song)

"Fragile" is a song composed by England musician Sting from his 1987 album ?Nothing Like the Sun. Released as a single the following year, it placed to number 70 on the UK Singles Chart....
"), after which Sting let it be up to the audience whether or not to continue with the show. Eventually they decided to go through with the concert, and the resultant album and DVD was released in November under a different title, ...All This Time. Both are dedicated "to all those who lost their lives on that day".

He performed a special arrangement of "Fragile
Fragile (song)

"Fragile" is a song composed by England musician Sting from his 1987 album ?Nothing Like the Sun. Released as a single the following year, it placed to number 70 on the UK Singles Chart....
" with Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma is a France-born Chinese Americans virtuoso List of cellists and composer and winner of multiple Grammy Awards. He is one of the most revered cello players of the 20th and 21st centuries....
 and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Mormon Tabernacle Choir

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a 360 member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to support the organization....
 during the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics

The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States....
 in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC....
.

In 2002 Sting won a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award

The Golden Globe Awards are presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to recognize outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry, both domestic and foreign, and to focus wide public attention upon the best in film and television program....
 for the song Until...
Until...

"Until..." is a song from the 2001 in film Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning film Kate & Leopold, sung by Sting . The song won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in the same category....
 from the film Kate and Leopold. Written and performed by him, "Until..." was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song
Academy Award for Best Song

The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the film industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ....
. In June he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Songwriters Hall of Fame

The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond....
. In the summer, Sting was awarded the honour
British honours system

The United Kingdom honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom. The system consists of three types of award: honours, decorations and medals:...
 of Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 (CBE). In 2003 he released Sacred Love
Sacred Love

Sacred Love is the seventh studio album by Sting . The album was released on 30 September 2003. The album featured racier beats and experiments collaborating with Hip hop music artist Mary J....
, a studio album featuring collaborations with hip-hop
Hip hop music

Hip hop music is a music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rapping which is accompanied with backing beats. Hip hop music is part of hip hop culture, which began in the Bronx, in New York City in the 1970s, predominantly among African Americans and Latino Americans....
 artist Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige

Mary Jane Blige is a nine-time Grammy Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated American R&B music singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor who has sold more than forty eight million albums worldwide....
 and sitar
Sitar

The sitar is a plucked stringed instrument. It uses sympathetic strings along with a long hollow neck and a gourd resonance chamber to produce a very rich sound with complex harmonic resonance....
 maestro Anoushka Shankar
Anoushka Shankar

Anoushka Shankar , b. June 9, 1981) is a sitar player and composer in the United States. She is the daughter of Ravi Shankar, Indian sitar player, and Sunkanya Rajan, a bank employee....
. He and Blige won a Grammy for their duet, "Whenever I Say Your Name". The album did not have the hit singles like his previous releases. The first single, "Send Your Love" reached only #30 and reviews were mixed. However, the album did reach platinum status by January 2004.

His autobiography Broken Music was published in October. Sting embarked on a Sacred Love tour in 2004 with performances by Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox is a British musician, vocalist and Academy Award-winning songwriter. She is both a solo artist and the lead singer of the musical duo Eurythmics, hailed as "The Greatest White Soul Singer Alive" by members of the rock industry on the VH1 show 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll in 1999....
. Sting went on the Broken Music tour, touring smaller venues, with a four piece band starting in Los Angeles on 28 March 2005 and ending this "College Tour" on 14 May 2005. Sting appears as a guest on the 2005 Monkey Business
Monkey Business (album)

Monkey Business is the fourth album by the Black Eyed Peas, released in various countries in late May to early June 2005 .The album was RIAA certification triple Music recording sales certification by the Recording Industry Association of America in the U.S....
 CD by American hip-hop
Hip hop music

Hip hop music is a music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rapping which is accompanied with backing beats. Hip hop music is part of hip hop culture, which began in the Bronx, in New York City in the 1970s, predominantly among African Americans and Latino Americans....
 group The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas are an United States hip hop music group from Los Angeles. As of 2009, the group is composed of will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie ....
, adding vocals to the track "Union" which makes heavy use of samples from his Englishman in New York
Englishman in New York

"Englishman in New York" is a song by Sting , from his 1987 album ...Nothing Like the Sun. The "Englishman" in question is the famous eccentric Quentin Crisp....
. Continuing with his involvement in Live Aid
Live Aid

Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on . The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia....
, he appeared at Live 8
Live 8

Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and 31st G8 summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6-8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid....
 in July 2005. During 2006, Sting collaborated with Roberto Livi in producing a Spanish language version of his cult classic "Fragile
Fragile (song)

"Fragile" is a song composed by England musician Sting from his 1987 album ?Nothing Like the Sun. Released as a single the following year, it placed to number 70 on the UK Singles Chart....
" entitled "Fragilidad" on the album Rhythms Del Mundo by Latino recording legends "The Buena Vista Sound" (previously known as the Buena Vista Social Club) available via www.apeuk.org.

In October 2006, Sting released an album, to mixed reviews, entitled Songs from the Labyrinth
Songs from the Labyrinth

Songs from the Labyrinth is a 2006 album of recordings of the music of John Dowland by Sting and Bosnia and Herzegovina lutenist Edin Karamazov....
 featuring the music of John Dowland
John Dowland

John Dowland was an England composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholia songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come Again ", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has been a source of repertoire for classical guitarists...
 (an Elizabethan-era composer) and accompaniment from Bosnian
Bosnia (region)

Historically and geographically, the region known as Bosnia lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders....
 lute
Lute

Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
 player Edin Karamazov
Edin Karamazov

Edin Karamazov is a Bosnian musician-lutenist . He studied lute with Hopkinson Smith at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and worked with such ensembles as Hesperion, L'Arpeggiata, Hilliard Ensemble, Mala Punica, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and singers Andreas Scholl, Maria-Cristina Kiehr, Arianna Savall, and Sting ....
. As a part of the promotion of this album, he appeared on the fifth episode of Studio 60
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is an American dramedy television television program created and written by Aaron Sorkin. It takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy show on the fictional television network NBS , whose format is similar to NBC's Saturday Night Live....
 during which he performed a segment of Dowland's "Come Again
Come Again (Dowland)

Come Again, sweet love doth now invite. is a song for soloist and lute or for small choir by John Dowland.The song is in typical bitter-sweet Dowland style...
" as well as his own "Fields of Gold" in the arrangement for voice and two archlute
Archlute

The archlute is a European plucked string instrument developed around 1600 as a compromise between the very large theorbo, the size and re-entrant tuning of which made for difficulties in the performance of solo music, and the Renaissance tenor lute, which lacked the bass range of the theorbo....
s. Reports surfaced in early 2007 that Sting would reunite with his former Police bandmates for a 30th anniversary tour. These rumours were confirmed by posts on the popular fanzine Stingus and on various other newswebsites such as De Standaard
De Standaard

De Standaard is a Flanders daily newspaper published in Belgium by Corelio . Circulation was about 97,226 in 2005. It was traditionally a Christian democracy paper, associated with the Christian-Democratic and Flemish Party, and in opposition to the Socialism Flemish daily De Morgen....
, Yahoo!
Yahoo!

Yahoo! Inc. is an United States public company corporation with headquarters in Sunnyvale, California, , and provides Internet services worldwide....
 etc. In May 2007, Deutsche Grammophon releases the opera Welcome to the Voice
Welcome to the Voice

Welcome to the Voice is a bilingual opera based on an original story and libretto by Muriel Teodori with music composed by Steve Nieve. A first draft was given a workshop performance at the Atlantic Bell Jazz Festival in 2000....
 (composer Steve Nieve), with Sting portraying the main character, Dyonisos.

On 11 February 2007, Sting reunited with the other members of the Police as the introductory act for the 2007 Grammy Awards, singing "Roxanne
Roxanne (song)

"Roxanne" is a hit song by the Rock music band The Police, first released in 1978 in music as a single and on their album Outlandos d'Amour....
", and subsequently announced The Police Reunion Tour
The Police Reunion Tour

The Police Reunion Tour was a 2007-2008 worldwide concert tour by The Police, marking the 30th anniversary of their beginnings. At its conclusion, the tour became the third highest grossing tour of all time, with revenues reaching over $340 million....
, the first concert of which was held in Vancouver on 28 May in front of 22,000 fans at one of two nearly sold-out concerts. The Police toured for more than a year, beginning with North America and eventually crossing over to Europe, South America, Australia & New Zealand and Japan. The last concert was at Madison Square Garden on 7 August 2008, during which Sting's three daughters appeared with him onstage.

In 2007 he recorded a song called "Power's Out" with Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American pop singer, songwriter, dancer, model, and occasional actress, best known as the lead singer for the Pussycat Dolls....
 (lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls) the song is featured on her debut album Her Name Is Nicole
Her Name Is Nicole

Her Name Is Nicole is the first solo album by United States pop music/contemporary R&B singer Nicole Scherzinger, lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls....
 which she was prepared to release in the beginning of 2008. On 1 February 2008, "Power's Out" was added on Nicole's official website and now "Power's Out" will be the official second single off Her Name Is Nicole.

He is featured as a playable character in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour

Guitar Hero World Tour is a music video game developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision. It is the fourth main entry in the Guitar Hero ....
.

"Brand New Day" was the final song of the night for the Neighborhood Ball, one of ten inaugural balls honoring President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 Barack Obama
Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the List of Presidents of the United States and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office....
 on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009. Sting was joined by Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. A prominent figure in popular music during the latter half of the 20th century, Wonder has recorded more than thirty US top ten hits, won twenty-two Grammy Awards , plus one for Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, won an Academy Award for Best Song, an...
 on harmonica.

According to an article posted on his official website, Sting entered the studio in early February 2009 to begin work on a new album.

Acting career

Sting occasionally has ventured into acting. Notable film roles include:
  • The Ace Face, the King of The Mods, a.k.a. The Bell Boy in the movie adaptation of The Who album Quadrophenia
    Quadrophenia (film)

    Quadrophenia is a 1979 in film United Kingdom film based on the 1973 rock opera album Quadrophenia by The Who. The film stars Phil Daniels in the leading role as a Mod named Jimmy....
     (1979)
  • Radio On : Just Like Eddie (1980)
  • The angel Helith in the BBC TV film Artemis 81 (1981)
  • Martin Taylor, a drifter in Brimstone and Treacle
    Brimstone and Treacle

    Brimstone and Treacle is a 1976 play by Dennis Potter which is best known via adaptations as a 1976 BBC television play and a 1982 film co-starring Sting ....
     (1982)
  • Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen
    Feyd-Rautha

    The na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is a fictional character in the science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert.The younger nephew of the cruel, powerful and cunning Vladimir Harkonnen, the dark-haired, 16-year old Feyd is as lean and muscular as the Baron is morbidly obesity; the Baron also notes that the "full and pouting look" of F...
     in the movie Dune
    Dune (film)

    Dune is a 1984 in film science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert Dune . The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, and includes an ensemble of well-known United States and European actors in supporting roles, including Sting , Jose Ferrer, Virginia Madsen, Linda Hunt, Patrick Stewart,...
     (1984)
  • Mick, a black-marketeer in Plenty
    Plenty (film)

    Plenty is a 1985 in film UK drama film directed by Fred Schepisi and starring Meryl Streep . It was adapted from David Hare 's Plenty ....
     (1985)
  • Baron Frankenstein in The Bride
    The Bride (film)

    The Bride is an adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, released in 1985 in film and directed by Franc Roddam. The film stars Sting as Baron Charles Frankenstein and Jennifer Beals as Eva, a woman he creates in the same fashion as his infamous Frankenstein's monster....
     (1985)
  • Himself in the documentary film Bring on the Night
    Bring on the Night (film)

    Bring on the Night is a 1985 documentary film, directed by Michael Apted, which focuses on the jazz-inspired project and band led by the British musician Sting during the early stages of his solo career....
     (1985)
  • A "heroic officer" in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
    The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

    The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a 1988 in film film directed by Terry Gilliam, starring John Neville , Sarah Polley, Eric Idle, Jonathan Pryce, Oliver Reed, Uma Thurman, and Robin Williams....
     (1988)
  • Finney, a nightclub owner in Stormy Monday
    Stormy Monday

    Stormy Monday is the 1988 in film feature film debut of director Mike Figgis. Starring Sean Bean, Tommy Lee Jones, Sting and Melanie Griffith it is an atmospheric noirish thriller....
     (1988)
  • Daniel, a British gentleman in Julia and Julia
    Julia and Julia

    Julia and Julia is a 1987 in film Italy drama film directed by Peter Del Monte. The screenplay by Silvia Napolitano, Sandro Petraglia, Joseph Minion, and Del Monte is based on a story by Napolitano....
     (1988)
  • Himself on The Simpsons
    The Simpsons

    The Simpsons is an Television in the United States animated cartoon Situation comedy created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company....
     episode "Radio Bart
    Radio Bart

    "Radio Bart" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons List of The Simpsons episodes#Season 3 . The episode aired on January 9, 1992....
    " (1992)
  • Fledge in The Grotesque
    The Grotesque (film)

    The Grotesque is a 1995 in film United Kingdom film by John-Paul Davidson, adapted from the The Grotesque by Patrick McGrath . It stars Alan Bates, Lena Headey, Theresa Russell and Sting ....
     (1995), in which he appears nude
  • J.D., Eddie's father and owner of a bar, in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
  • Himself in Ally Mcbeal
    Ally McBeal

    Ally McBeal was an United States television series which ran on the Fox Television Network network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E....
     Season four episode Cloudy Skies, Chance of Parade (2001)
  • Himself in Live DVD "The Police: Synchroncity Tour" (2005)
  • Himself in "Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out
    Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out

    Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out is a rockumentary film made by Stewart Copeland, drummer of the band The Police. The film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was released on DVD in September 2006....
    " (2006)
  • Himself on the Vicar of Dibley Comic Relief special (2007)
  • Himself in Bee Movie
    Bee Movie

    Bee Movie is a 2007 Golden Globe-nominated Computer animation film starring Jerry Seinfeld, Ren?e Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Megan Mullally, John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, and Patrick Warburton....
    (2007)
  • Stonk, lead singer of "The Cops" in Little Britain USA
    Little Britain USA

    Little Britain USA is an United States follow-up to the United Kingdom BBC television series Little Britain.As in the British series, Matt Lucas and David Walliams play the majority of the characters, such as Lou and Andy, Little Britain characters#Daffyd Thomas, Little Britain characters#Sebastian Love, Marjorie Dawes and Little Br...
    (2008) [However he plays his own song, Fields of Gold]


Sting narrated the American premiere of the musical
Yanomamo (1983), by Peter Rose and Anne Conlon
Peter Rose and Anne Conlon

Peter Rose and Anne Conlon are award-winning writers best known for their environmental musicals for children. They were both teachers in Lancashire, UK for the majority of their creative achievements and most of their works have been written especially for St Augustine's RC High School, Billington, at the time Peter Rose was their he...
 outlining problems that existed in the Amazon rainforest. This was made into a film and later broadcast as
Song of the Forest (currently available from WWF-UK). Other appearances on the stage and television include guest spots on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live is a weekly late-night 90-minute American sketch comedy/variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975....
and Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal

Ally McBeal was an United States television series which ran on the Fox Television Network network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E....
. He also provided the voice of Zarm on the 1990s television show Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Captain Planet and the Planeteers

Captain Planet and the Planeteers is an United States Animated television series Environmentalism television program, based on an idea by Ted Turner and produced by Andy Heyward, Robby London, Barbara Pyle and Nicholas Boxer....
. In 1989 he starred as Macheath (Mack the Knife) in the The Threepenny Opera
The Threepenny Opera

The Threepenny Opera is a Musical theatre by German dramatist Bertolt Brecht and composer Kurt Weill, in collaboration with translator Elisabeth Hauptmann and set designer Caspar Neher....
, the classic 1928 German musical work by Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht

was a Germany poet, playwright, and theatre director. An influential theatre practitioner of the Twentieth-century theatre, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and Theatre, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the Berliner Ensemble?the post-war theatre company operated by Brec...
 and Kurt Weill
Kurt Weill

Kurt Julian Weill , was a Germany, and in his later years American, composer active from the 1920s until his death. He was a leading composer for the theatre....
 in New York and Washington. He most recently appeared as a musical guest on the fictional series
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is an American dramedy television television program created and written by Aaron Sorkin. It takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy show on the fictional television network NBS , whose format is similar to NBC's Saturday Night Live....
.

Sting appeared on the television sitcom
Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal

Ally McBeal was an United States television series which ran on the Fox Television Network network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E....
as himself, being sued for appearing to sing to a fan by the fan's husband.

Activism

While with the Police, Sting wrote "Driven to Tears", an angry indictment of apathy in the face of world hunger, and it preceded his work on Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof

Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof KBE, known as Bob Geldof , is an Republic of Ireland singer, songwriter, actor and political activist who became famous as a member of the Rock music The Boomtown Rats....
's "Feed The World" project.

Sting sang on "Do They Know It's Christmas?
Do They Know It's Christmas?

"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 specifically to raise money for relief of 1984?1985 famine in Ethiopia....
" -- a hit single from Geldof's pop music super-group called "Band Aid" which eventually led to the Live Aid
Live Aid

Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on . The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia....
 Concert in July 1985, in which Sting also took part, performing with Branford Marsalis, Phil Collins, and with the group Dire Straits.

Throughout the 1980s, Sting strongly supported environmentalism
Environmentalism

Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and social movement centered on a concern for the Conservation movement and improvement of the environment ....
 and humanitarian movements, such as Amnesty International
Amnesty International

Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated." Founded in London, England in 1961, AI draws its attention to human rights abuses and...
. In 1986 he was interviewed by the BBC about the origins of his support for Amnesty International and he stated: "I've been a member of Amnesty and a support member for five years, due to an entertainment event called
The Secret Policeman's Ball and before that I did not know about Amnesty, I did not know about its work, I did not know about torture in the world."

Sting's first involvement in the human rights cause occurred in September 1981 when he was invited by producer Martin Lewis
Martin Lewis

Martin Neil Lewis is a United States-based England humorist, writer, radio/TV host, producer and Marketing strategy. He is known for his participation in a variety of projects in the arts and entertainment worlds including his work as the co-creator and co-producer of the The Secret Policeman's Balls benefit shows for Amnesty Internatio...
 to participate in the fourth Amnesty International gala
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball

The show took place in London in September 1981. It was a successor to the 1979 show The Secret Policeman's Ball .The show was directed by Monty Python alumnus John Cleese and produced by Martin Lewis & Peter Walker ....
following the example set at the 1979 show by Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend

Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend , is an English rock and roll guitarist, singer, songwriter, composer, and writer, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for The Who, as well as for his own solo career....
. Sting performed two of his Police compositions as a soloist - "Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle"' - appearing on all four nights of the show at the Theatre Royal in London. Sting also led an impromptu super-group of other musicians (dubbed
The Secret Police) performing at the show including Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton

Eric Patrick Clapton Order of the British Empire is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. He is "probably most famous for his mastery of the Stratocaster guitar." Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream , and as a solo performer, being the only person to...
, Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck

Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an England rock music guitarist. He was one of the three noted guitarists — the others being Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page — to have played with The Yardbirds....
, Phil Collins
Phil Collins

Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, Royal Victorian Order, is an England singer-songwriter, drummer, keyboardist and actor best known as the lead singer and drummer of England progressive rock group Genesis and as a Grammy Award and Academy Award-winning solo artist....
, Donovan
Donovan

Donovan , is a Scotland singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk music scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, Popular music, psychedelic rock, and world music....
, Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof

Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof KBE, known as Bob Geldof , is an Republic of Ireland singer, songwriter, actor and political activist who became famous as a member of the Rock music The Boomtown Rats....
 and Midge Ure
Midge Ure

Midge Ure Order of the British Empire is a guitarist, singer, Keyboard instrument, and songwriter. He had particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in a number of bands, including Slik, Thin Lizzy, The Rich Kids, Visage and most notably as frontman of the band Ultravox....
 in the show's grand finale - Sting's own reggae-tinged arrangement of Bob Dylan's
I Shall Be Released. The event was the first time that Sting had worked with Geldof, Collins and Ure - an association that developed further with 1984's Band Aid and 1985's Live Aid. Sting's performance - his first live appearances as a solo performer - was prominently featured on the album of the show (being its lead tracks) and in the film. In 1986, Sting was one of the headline performers on Amnesty's A Conspiracy of Hope tour of the US. In late 1986, Sting visited Quentin Crisp
Quentin Crisp

Quentin Crisp , born Denis Charles Pratt, was an England writer and raconteur. He became a gay icon in the 1970s after publication of his memoir, The Naked Civil Servant, brought to the attention of the general public his defiant exhibitionism and longstanding refusal to remain in the closet....
 in his New York City apartment and learned about what it was like for Crisp to grow up gay in the homophobic 1920s - 1960s. As a result, Sting dedicated the song "Englishman in New York
Englishman in New York

"Englishman in New York" is a song by Sting , from his 1987 album ...Nothing Like the Sun. The "Englishman" in question is the famous eccentric Quentin Crisp....
" to Crisp.

A high point in his many contributions to human-rights causes came in 1988, when he joined a team of other major musicians - including Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel

Peter Brian Gabriel is a Grammy Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated England musician and songwriter. He first rose to fame as the lead vocals and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis ....
 and Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American songwriter, singer and musician. He has recorded and toured with the E Street Band....
 - assembled under the banner of Amnesty International for the six-week world tour Human Rights Now! Tour
Human Rights Now! Tour

Human Rights Now! was a worldwide tour of twenty benefit concerts on behalf of Amnesty International that took place over six weeks in 1988. Held not to raise funds but to increase awareness of Amnesty and to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the shows featured Bruce Springsteen and the E Street B...
 celebrating the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Guinness Book of Records describes the UDHR as the "Most Translated Document" in the world....
.

In 1988, he released the single "They Dance Alone" which chronicled the plight of the mothers, wives and daughters of the "disappeared", the innocent victims of the Pinochet regime in Chile
Chile

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow coastal strip wedged between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean....
. Unable to publicly voice their grievances to the government about their missing loved ones, for fear that they would "go missing" too, the women of Chile would pin photos of their "disappeared" relatives on their clothing, and dance in silent outrage against the government in public places.

With his wife Trudie Styler
Trudie Styler

Trudie Styler is an actress and producer. She is married to the musician Sting ....
 and Raoni Metuktire, a Kayapó Indian leader in Brazil
Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
, Sting founded the Rainforest Foundation to help save the rainforest
Rainforest

Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750?2000 mm . The monsoon trough, alternately known as the intertropical convergence zone, plays a significant role in creating Earth's tropical rain forests....
s. His support for these causes continues to this day, and includes an annual benefit concert held at New York's Carnegie Hall with Billy Joel, Elton John, James Taylor and other music superstars. A species of Colombian tree frog,
Dendropsophus stingi
Dendropsophus stingi

Dendropsophus stingi is a species of frog in the Hylidae family.It is Endemism to Colombia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marches, pastureland, and heavily degraded former forest....
, was named after him in recognition of his "commitment and efforts to save the rain forest" (Kaplan 1994).

Sting and his wife Trudie Styler were awarded the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience award in Sherborn Mass on 30 June 2000. Singer/song writer, documentary film producers for their commitment to the environment through the establishment of the Rainforest Foundation; to human rights in China through the documentary film on Tiananmen Square; and to peace and social justice through the powerful gift of song.

On 21 October 1991, Sting joined Don Henley
Don Henley

Donald Hugh " Don " Henley is an United States rock music singing, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful Grammy Award-winning solo career....
 and Billy Joel
Billy Joel

William Martin "Billy" Joel is an United States rock music musician, singer-songwriter, and Classical music composer. He released his first hit song, "Piano Man ", in 1973....
 at New York's Madison Square Garden for a benefit rock show called The Concert for Walden Woods.

On 15 September 1997, Sting joined Sir Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Phil Collins and Mark Knopfler at London's Royal Albert Hall for Music For Montserrat, a benefit concert for the Caribbean island that had recently been devastated by an eruption from a volcano.

He also took part in the post-9-11 rock telethon to raise money for the families of the victims of terror attacks in the United States.

On 2 July 2005, Sting performed at the Live 8 concert, the follow up to 1985's Live Aid Concert.

In 2007, Sting joined his friends Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland in his reunited band, The Police, and played the closing set at the Live Earth Concert at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Joined by John Mayer and Kanye West, Sting and the Police fittingly ended the show singing "Message in a Bottle," as the event was dubbed "The SOS Concert."

In 2008 Sting contributed to a music album called Songs for Tibet
Songs for Tibet

Songs for Tibet ? The Art of Peace is a music album with contributions from number of musicians from throughout the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and South Africa....
, to support Tibet
Tibet

Tibet is a Tibetan Plateau in Asia, north of the Himalayas, and the home to the indigenous Tibetan people and its related ethnic groups. With an average elevation of 4,900 metres , it is the highest region on Earth and has in recent decades increasingly been referred to as the "Roof of the World"....
 and the current Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama is a lineage of religious leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and was the political leader of Lhasa-based Tibetan government between the 17th century and 1959....
 Tenzin Gyatso.

Personal life

Sting married actress Frances Tomelty
Frances Tomelty

Frances Tomelty is a Northern Ireland actress and the first wife of Sting .She has starred in series such as, Bergerac , Inspector Morse, Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, Midsomer Murders and Coronation Street, Cracker , as well as films like Bellman and True, Monk Dawson, Bullshot and The Field....
 from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
, on 1 May 1976. Before they divorced in 1984, the couple had two children: Joseph
Joe Sumner

Joseph Sumner is the son of actress Frances Tomelty and singer/actor/activist Gordon Sumner, known by the stage name Sting . He is the lead singer and bass player in the UK band Fiction Plane....
 (born 1976) and Fuchsia Catherine (a.k.a. "Kate", born 1982). Joe Sumner is a member of the band Fiction Plane
Fiction Plane

Fiction Plane is a rock music band from England. The band is fronted by Joe Sumner, the son of musician Sting . In 2001, they recorded their first demo called Swings and Roundabouts under the name Santa's Boyfriend....
. In 1980 Sting became a tax exile
Tax exile

A tax exile is one who chooses to leave a country and instead to reside in a foreign nation or jurisdiction because personal taxes there are appreciably lower or even nil....
 and moved to Galway in Ireland.

In 1982, shortly after the birth of his second child, Sting separated from Tomelty and began living with actress (and later film producer) Trudie Styler
Trudie Styler

Trudie Styler is an actress and producer. She is married to the musician Sting ....
. The couple eventually married in 1992, on 20 August. Sting and Styler have four children: Bridget Michael (a.k.a. "Mickey", born 19 January 1984), Jake
Jake Sumner

Jake Sumner is a British model and the son of British singer Sting and Trudie Styler. His birth was documented on the Bring on the Night documentary. He modeled in 2003 for Tommy Hilfiger's denim campaign....
 (born 24 May 1985), Eliot Pauline
Coco Sumner

Eliot Pauline Sumner also known by her nickname, Coco, is an England musician, model and actress. She is the daughter of Sting and Trudie Styler....
 (nicknamed "Coco", born 30 July 1990), and Giacomo Luke (born 17 December 1995).

Both of Sting's parents died from cancer in 1987. He did not, however, attend either funeral stating that the media fuss would be disrespectful to his parents.

1995 found Sting preparing for a court appearance, against his former accountant who had misappropriated several million pounds of his money, much to the amusement of the press, without Sting even knowing it had vanished.

Sting owns several homes worldwide, including Elizabethan manor house Lake House and its 60-acre
Acre

The acre is a Units of measurement of area in a number of different systems, including the Imperial unit#Measures of area and United States customary units#Units of area systems....
 country estate in Wiltshire
Wiltshire

Wiltshire is a Ceremonial counties of England in the South West England of England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire....
, England, a country cottage in the Lake District
Lake District

The Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a rural area in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes and its mountains , and its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the Lake Poets....
, a New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 apartment, a beach house in Malibu, California
Malibu, California

Malibu is an incorporated city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population is 12,575....
, a estate in Tuscany, Italy, and two properties in London: an apartment on The Mall
The Mall (London)

The Mall in London is the road running from Buckingham Palace at its western end to Admiralty Arch and on to Trafalgar Square at its eastern end, where it crosses Spring Gardens, which was where the Metropolitan Board of Works and, for a number of years, the London County Council were based....
, an 18th century terrace house in Highgate
Highgate

Highgate is a village in North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath. Highgate rises to an altitude of at Highgate Wood and at North Hill....
. And he used to own a home in West Hempstead, New York.

According to an interview he did for German television broadcaster NDR
Norddeutscher Rundfunk

Norddeutscher Rundfunk is a public broadcasting, based in Hamburg. In addition to the city-state of Hamburg, NDR transmits for the German states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein....
 in 1996, Sting chose a tree on the Lake House estate beside where he wishes to be buried someday.

To keep physically fit, for years Sting ran five miles (8 km) a day, and performed aerobics
Aerobics

Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness ....
. He participated in running races at Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill, London

Parliament Hill is an open area of land in north-west London on the south side of Hampstead Heath, both areas administered by the City of London Corporation....
 and charity runs similar to the British 10K. However, around 1990 he met Danny Paradise who introduced him to yoga
Yoga

Yoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in both Buddhism and Hinduism....
. Soon after, Sting began practicing yoga regularly. His practice consisted primarily of an Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

History and legendThe Ashtanga Vinyasa series is said to have its origin in an ancient text called the Yoga Korunta, compiled by Vamana Rishi, which Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya received from his Guru Rama Mohan Brahmachari at Mount Kailash....
 series, though now he practices many other forms. He has practiced with notable teachers: Danny Paradise, Ganga White, Tracey Rich, Sharon Gannon, David Life, Maty Ezraty, and Seane Corn. He wrote a foreword to the book, Yoga Beyond Belief , by Ganga White in 2007.

An avid chess player, Sting played Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov is a Russian former World Chess Champion, regarded by many as Methods for comparing top chess players throughout history. He is also a writer and political activist....
 in an exhibition game in 2000. Sting is also a vegetarian.

He is also reportedly a fan of the Premiership Football Team, Newcastle United.

Discography

YearTitleBillboard album 200
Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling Albums and extended play in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine....
UK Top 100RIAABPI
1985 The Dream of the Blue Turtles
The Dream of the Blue Turtles

The Dream of the Blue Turtles is the first solo album released by Sting . It includes ten tracks and was released in 1985, only a year after The Police had unofficially broken up....
233XPlatinum2XPlatinum
1987 ...Nothing Like the Sun
...Nothing Like the Sun

?Nothing Like the Sun is a 1987 double album by Sting . The title comes from Shakespeare's sonnets #130 , which Sting used in the song "Sister Moon"....
912XPlatinumPlatinum
1991 The Soul Cages
The Soul Cages

The Soul Cages is the third studio album released by Sting . Released in 1991, it became his second #1 album in the United Kingdom. While a relatively little-known album to casual fans, with a similar lack of popularity to 1996's Mercury Falling, this very personal and introspective album spawned four singles, "All This Time ", "Why S...
21PlatinumGold
1993 Ten Summoner's Tales
Ten Summoner's Tales

Ten Summoner's Tales is the fourth solo studio album by the Rock music musician Sting . The title is a combined pun of his given name, Gordon Sumner, and a character in Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales, the summoner....
223XPlatinum2XPlatinum
1996 Mercury Falling
Mercury Falling

Mercury Falling is the fifth studio album released by Sting . The album was marked by its tight studio production and use of brass reminiscent of recordings made at FAME Studios in the 1960s....
54PlatinumPlatinum
1999 Brand New Day953XPlatinumPlatinum
2003 Sacred Love
Sacred Love

Sacred Love is the seventh studio album by Sting . The album was released on 30 September 2003. The album featured racier beats and experiments collaborating with Hip hop music artist Mary J....
33PlatinumGold
2006 Songs from the Labyrinth
Songs from the Labyrinth

Songs from the Labyrinth is a 2006 album of recordings of the music of John Dowland by Sting and Bosnia and Herzegovina lutenist Edin Karamazov....
2524--


Bibliography

  • 2007 Lyrics by - Sting, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 978-1-84737-167-6
  • 2003 Autobiography Broken Music, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0-7434-5081-7
  • 2005 Biography Sting and I, James Berryman, John Blake, ISBN 1-84454-107-X
  • 2000 Authorised biography A Sting in the Tale, James Berryman, Mirage Publishing
    Mirage Publishing

    Mirage Publishing was founded by Stephen Richards in 1998 as a publisher of True crime books after setting up in Gateshead in 1998.The first book to come off the press was about murdered Tyneside gangland figure Viv Graham and was written by Investigative journalism Stephen Richards ....
    , ISBN 1-90257-813-9
  • 1998 Biography Sting - Demolition Man, Christopher Sandford, Little, Brown and Company, ISBN 0-316-64372-6


See also

  • List of number-one hits (United States)
    List of number-one hits (United States)

    Pre-Hot 100 era Number-one hits of 1940 Number-one hits of 1941 Number-one hits of 1942 Number-one hits of 1943 Number-one hits of 1944 Number-one hits of 1945 ...
  • List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
    List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)

    This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on Billboard magazine's weekly pop singles chart.This list spans from the issue dated January 1, 1955 to the present....
  • List of number-one dance hits (United States)
    List of number-one dance hits (United States)

    This is a list of number-one dance hits as recorded by Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Play chart — a weekly national survey of popular songs in United States dance clubs....
  • List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
    List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

    This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Play chart. Billboard began ranking dance music on the week ending October 26 1974 and this is the standard music popularity chart in the United States for play in nightclubs....
  • Mononymous persons
    Mononymous persons

    A mononymous person is an individual who is known by a wikt:mononym, or "single name". In some cases, that name has been selected by the individual, who may have originally been given a polynym ; in other cases, it has been determined by the custom of the country or by some interested segment of the public....


External links

  • at NNDB
    NNDB

    The Notable Names Database , produced by Soylent Communications, is an online database of biography details of over 35,000 people of note. NNDB describes itself as an "intelligence aggregator" containing links between people as well as vital statistics, job history, religion, Race or ethnicity, sexual orientation and biography....
  • - Largest unofficial Sting / Andy Summers / Stewart Copeland / The Police website
  • - fans community website
  • from NPR Performance Today, 6 March 2007