Sting - Biography - IMDb Biography Showing all 106 items Jump to: Overview (3) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (2) | Trade Mark (5) | Trivia (55) | Personal Quotes (40) Overview (3) 6' (1.83 m) Mini Bio (1) Sting was born Gordon Matthew Sumner on 2 October, 1951 in Wallsend, North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England, the eldest of four children of Audrey (Cowell), a hairdresser, and Ernest Matthew Sumner, an engineer and milkman. He received his name from a striped sweater he wore which looked like a bee. He grew up in the turmoil of the ship-building industry and wanted to become a musician very early. He played cruise ships, backing strippers in cabarets, and developed a love for the bass guitar. Having played in jazz/rock bands like "Last Exit" and other various groups, including a dixieland jazz group, he settled down with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers for a decade-long tenure with the smashing rock trio, The Police .

In 1984, he went on to record solo albums, and holds a reputation as one of the most literate songwriters and talented musicians in the world. He has also delved into acting, having starred in such films as Quadrophenia (1979), Radio On (1979), Plenty (1985), Julia and Julia (1987) (aka Julia and Julia), Dune (1984), Bring on the Night (1985) (a documentary about the formation of his Blue Turtles jazz group), most recently, Gentlemen Don't Eat Poets (1995), where he plays a bisexual, conniving butler. He received an honorary Doctorate of Music degree from Northumbria University in October 1992, and from Berklee College of Music in May 1994. He plays guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, piano, harmonica, saxophone and pan-flute, and he gave a name to his bass (Brian). Sting is married to film producer Trudie Styler , and has six children with Trudie and ex-wife, actress Frances Tomelty .

Sting owns a Jacobian castle in Wiltshire, which he calls "Lake House", where he records his albums, as well as a place in London, an apartment in New York, a place on the beach in Malibu, California, and a Renaissance Florentine Villa called "Palagio" in Figline Valdarno, Tuscany, Italy. Along with his wife Trudie and a Brazilian Indian, he started the Rainforest Foundation in 1989 to help save rainforests. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Kornel Osvart and Dan Fineberg Spouse (2) High-pitched raspy voice Fender Precision bass guitar Literary references in his songs. (Roxanne is named for the heroine of Cyrano de Bergerac. "Moon Over Bourbon Street" was inspired by Interview with the Vampire. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" references Scylla and Charibdes, two dangerous islands from The Odyssey.

"Don't Stand Too Close to Me" references Lolita, "that book by Nobokov.") Blonde spiky hair and bold blue eyes Writing songs about wide-ranging themes, which have included political, social and environmental subjects Trivia (55) He has 6 children, two from his first wife Frances Tomelty , four from Trudie Styler . Lived with Trudie Styler for about 10 years before marrying her. Bass player and lead singer for influential 70s-80s new wave group The Police . His favorite music is actually jazz. Was a certified primary school teacher in England. He also taught English in St Paul's First School, a secondary school, in Cramlington near Newcastle. Got his nickname "Sting" from the black and gold rugby shirts he used to wear, which made him look like a hornet. Sting appeared in Threepenny Opera in Washington, D.C. in the 1980s. Attended Warwick University in Coventry, England but never graduated. Son, Joseph Sumner , is a singer in a band and bears a striking resemblance to Sting. Joe's singing sounds similar to his father's as well.

Godfather of Madonna 's newborn son, Rocco Ritchie . He was the visual inspiration for the original illustrations of the comic book supernatural detective John Constantine/Hellblazer (created in 1984 by Alan Moore and Stephen Bissette). Sting was 33 years old at the point. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of The Police ) on 10 March 2003. Album "Nothing Like the Sun" is dedicated to his mother, Audrey. Filmed his son Jake Sumner 's birth and put it in his movie, Bring on the Night (1985). He was a member of Band Aid (1984). He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to Music. Now resides in a Malibu house formerly owned by actor Larry Hagman . Sting takes in an average of $2000.00 per day in royalties for this now 20 year old song "Every Breath You Take." The song is officially the most requested radio song of all time.

His song "Roxanne" was covered by George Michael on the album "Songs from the Last Century". Performed for the BBC's annual Children in Need charity event. [November 2003] Is a big fan of "Richard Laymer, the Copy Guy," a popular character created by Rob Schneider for Saturday Night Live (1975). Sting was the first SNL host/musical guest to appear in a "Copy Guy" sketch; he later wrote the cast and crew a letter from "Sting. The Stingster. Der Stinglehoffer. Sting-a-ling-a-ding-dong. Sting-o. The Stingman." The Police were voted the 70th Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artists of all time by Rolling Stone. The comic book character of "John Constantine" ("Hellblazer"), eventually featured in the Keanu Reeves movie, Constantine (2005), was designed to look like Sting, and, in fact, was created solely for the purpose of including a character who looks like Sting in the Swamp Thing comic. In one Swamp Thing issue, there's a boat called the "USS Gordon Sumner".

Wrote "Every Breath You Take" after waking up in the middle of the night from a dream. The Police ended their last tour in early 1984 and only regrouped to play a few benefit dates in 1986. Their last performance to date was March 10, 2003 at their Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction. They have never announced an official breakup. His song "Roxanne" is one of the top 50 bar/jukebox songs of all time, according to VH-1. His album with The Police , "Synchronicity", was the album that finally knocked Michael Jackson 's "Thriller", the best selling album of all time, out of the number one spot it held for most of 1983. Former son-in-law of actor-writer Joseph Tomelty He is an avid Newcastle United supporter. Attended St. Cuthbert's Catholic High School in Newcastle although, at the time he went, it was a Catholic grammar school.

Other students have included TV presenter Declan Donnelly , Pet Shop Boys lead singer Neil Tennant , British Prisoner-of-War and journalist John Nichol as well as renowned architect Terry Farrell who designed the MI6 building overlooking the River Thames in London. One of his children suffers from dyspraxia - a developmental disorder of the brain in childhood affecting movement and coordination In an interview in the late 90s, said he liked some American Country music, mentioning Hank Williams and "Gentleman" Jim Reeves as two of his favorites.

Winner of several Grammy Awards beginning with: "Reggatta De Blanc" (Best Rock Instrumental Performance / The Police) (1980); "Behind My Camel" (Best Rock Instrumental Performance / The Police) (1981); "Don't Stand So Close to Me" (Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal / The Police) (1981); "Brimstone and Treacle" (Best Rock Instrumental Performance / solo) (1983); "Synchronicity" (Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal / The Police) (1983); "Every Breath You Take" (Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal / Song of the Year / The Police) (1983); "Bring On the Night" (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male / solo) (1987); "Soul Cages" (Best Rock Song / solo) (1991); "Ten Summoner's Tales" (Best Music Video-Long Form / solo) (1993); "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male / solo) (1993); "Brand New

 Day" (Best Pop Album / Best Male Pop Vocal Performance / solo) (1999); "She Walks This Earth (Soberana Rosa)" (Best Male Pop Vocal Performance / solo) (2000); "Whenever I Say Your Name" (Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals / with Mary J.

Blige ) (2003) His eldest daughter is actress Fuschia Sumner . He is a vegetarian. Sting has won several Brit (British Phonographic Industry) Awards, both solo and with The Police . The band won the British Phonographic Industry Award for Outstanding Contribution in 1985. His album "Nothing Like The Sun" won the British Phonographic Industry Award for British Album in 1988. He was the winner of the 1994 Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist following the success of his album "Ten Summoner's Tales". In 2002, he won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution. Only Paul McCartney , John Lennon and Freddie Mercury have also won the award as a member of a band and as an individual. Winner of the 2002 Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement. The 2005 winning horse of the Kentucky Derby, Giacomo, is named after Sting and Trudie's son of the same name. The owner of the horse, Jerry Moss , is good friends with Sting and recorded him on A&M Records. Reunited with his former band-mates and performed at the 2007 Grammy Awards.

The next day, The Police announced a worldwide tour in 2007, the first tour since 1986. Two of the songs he sang with The Police are also the titles of films starring Sandra Bullock : Demolition Man (1993) and Murder by Numbers (2002). Ranked #63 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Rock & Roll and #9 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler , founded the Rainforest Foundation in 1988. Former bus conductor and tax officer. He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The 2009 Sunday Times List estimated his net worth at $295 million. Lives in London (UK), Lake Wilshire, Malibu (California) and Figline Valdarno (Tuscany, Italy). Attended Princess Diana 's funeral in 1997. Release of his book, "Lyrics".

[October 2007] Reuniting with his former band mates of The Police and embarking on a worldwide tour. [February 2007] Amstel Hotel - Amsterdam - The Netherlands for two shows in the Amsterdam Arena. [September 2007] A recipient of the 2014 Kennedy Center Honors. Other recipients this year were Al Green , Tom Hanks , Patricia McBride , and Lily Tomlin . Personal Quotes (40) My job is being a musician [...] I just make films for fun, really. I'm bored with music between 1955 and 1980. I'm completely bored. I can't listen to a rock and roll record. I can't do it. I would rather listen to hogs screwing. It was quite something. My wife saw it, too. At first I thought it was her with one of the kids until I reached over and I realised that she was still in bed with me" - on seeing the ghosts of a woman and a child in his bedroom The geniuses of music, like Bach ( Johann Sebastian Bach ) and Miles Davis , used silence beautifully; they were not about using as many notes as possible.

They knew that playing almost nothing can be the most elegant and eloquent thing to do. I'm so glad I have this way of expressing, in a veiled and artistic way, my most intimate feelings. A lot of people have the same feelings, but in others it must get bottled up. I'm proud of my being able to make it into artifacts that some people find beautiful or engaging. I don't belong to a church or political party or a group of any kind. I feel that Amnesty International is the most civilized organization in history. Its currency is the written word. Its weapon is the letter; that's why I am a member. I believe in its non-violence; I believe in its effectiveness. Its dignity and its sense of commitment. Its focus on individuals and the concentration and tenacity with which they defend those imprisoned for their ideas has earned it the cautious respect of repressive governments throughout the world. If anyone described me as a genius I would laugh. I have my moments - I just have to join them together. [on the induction of The Police into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame] I am very proud of the legacy of The Police . We are a damn good band and it still holds up.

You can't get better than Otis Redding . You can scratch the surface of my songs pretty lightly and you'll find someone who wanted to be James Taylor at the age of 14. He's also a brilliant and ridiculously underrated guitar player and blessed with a voice that could melt ice caps. One of my favorite songs that I never wrote was "Tempted" and I did actually cover it. It's a great song, and Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook are great songwriters. Squeeze were always a great band, and it was nice to cover it. I loved the band Traffic for their way of creating a musical universe without these boundaries, because whether it's country, pop, gospel, heavy metal or classical music, it's all a single language, a code. I first met Youssou ( Youssou N'Dour ) with Peter ( Peter Gabriel ) several years ago when we worked together on an Amnesty tour. Both of them have such extraordinary voices and Peter has done a lot to promote world music in general and that should be acknowledged as it's been a one man crusade on his part. [on Bruce Springsteen ] The great thing about Bruce is that he's exactly as he seems. A great man.

[on Bob Dylan ] He's a great artist and he really inspired me. [on performing the music of John Dowland on his album "Songs From The Labyrinth"] For me they are pop songs. Beautiful melodies, fantastic lyrics, great accompaniments. I feel that my job as a pop artist is to develop as a musician, and to bring into my sphere elements that aren't necessarily pop, more complex intervals, complex time signatures. [on his being made a CBE] Being a Commander of the British Empire isn't really what it's cracked up to be, since I can't command anybody. Everyone always ignores me. Everybody in the business knows in his heart of hearts what it takes to be successful. Whether you've got the guts to go through with that or not is another matter. I watched it the other night for the first time, I've never seen it before. I was appalled. I wouldn't get on The X Factor (2004) because I don't sound like anyone they're after, I sound like myself. I think they are basically aping pre-existing stereotypes of what singers should do and they're not being themselves. There's no X Factor there.

The music industry is a multi-million dollar business and the shop floor is not The X Factor (2004). It's pubs and clubs up and down the country or you get in your van and you go up and down the M1 and you build an audience that way. That's how you build a backbone. [on the Lisbon Treaty in 2009] I've lived in Europe for about 15 years, I live in Italy. So I feel very European. I think it's an inevitable thing that our future in the British Isles will be with Europe. We'll be part of Europe, we'll be better for it. [on The X Factor (2004)] I am sorry but none of those kids are going to go anywhere, and I say that sadly. How appalling for a young person to feel that rejection. It is a soap opera which has nothing to do with music. In fact, it has put music back decades. Television is very cynical. They are either Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston or Boyzone and are not encouraged to create any real unique signature or fingerprint. That cannot come from TV.

The X Factor (2004) is a preposterous show and you have judges who have no recognisable talent apart from self-promotion, advising them what to wear and how to look. It is appalling. The real shop floor for musical talent is pubs and clubs, that is where the original work is. But they are being closed down on a daily basis. It is impossible to put an act on in a pub. The music industry has been hugely important to England, bringing in millions. If anyone thinks The X Factor (2004) is going to do that, they are wrong. There's no pussyfooting in our group. We don't skirt around each other; we go straight for the jugular. We know each other very well, and we know where it hurts. [Rolling Stone, February 19, 1981 issue] I think what we provide is functional entertainment. It has a use. I just try to write as good a song as possible; it's a craft. [Rolling Stone, February 1981] [on comparisons made between him and Peter Gabriel ] Peter Gabriel and I are not tapping each other's phones!

We've both grown in the same kind of creative arc. We're both led by curiosity. I am a gambler and I think I've always been rewarded for my risk-taking. My ambition is to be allowed to do anything that I want to do again, and to reach a standard where people will at least say: 'That was OK.' I think the whole idea of being 'successful' in music is to have a unique signature or sonic fingerprint, and - no matter what context you sing in - people recognize it as you. Whether they like it is another matter. There's this whole universe of music that is simply limitless. When you think you know everything about music, you discover you can't get to the end. I'm on this lifelong journey, and orchestral music is where it's now taken me. We [wife Trudie Styler and himself] keep getting begged for our "secret" - why ours has lasted so much longer than most Hollywood marriages put together. More than anything else, the same ounce-of-prevention that works against sibling rivalry also works against separation and divorce: Trudie and I not only love but actually like each other. I want to surprise an audience: surprise the listener, surprise myself.

To me the essence of music is surprise. Every eight bars you need a surprise, otherwise people fall asleep. There are no clues in my environment that you leave that environment and fare well and be successful. My parents didn't really understand what my dreams were. They just thought I was crazy because I had just given up a job with a pension and the security, in their eyes. My dad didn't understand until the end of his days what the hell I was doing. He thought I should have had a proper job. Maybe he was right. I wanted to take a risk and be a star. [on Alan Parker 's film, Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)] I hated Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982). I thought it was beautifully crafted and incredibly well-made, but utterly empty, full of nothing, nihilism. There's more to life than that. There's no humor in it, no hope. It's like he'd read half of Camus or Sartre and decided that's what truth is. I loathe it, it's juvenile. It saddened me that all that skill and craft went into such an empty project. I don't think there's such a thing as composition in pop music.

I think what we do in pop music is collate. It's like folk music. It makes copyright a bit interesting and difficult. I'm a good collator. I'm essentially agnostic. I don't have a problem with God. I have a problem with religion. I've chosen to live my life without the certainties of religious faith. I think they're dangerous. Music is something that gives my life value and spiritual solace. [speaking about the United States] I don't think there is any political discourse in this country. People tend to speak in sound bites, which have nothing to do with any kind of information that's useful. I miss genuine debate. It's not to say there aren't intelligent people in politics. Of course there are. But the system doesn't seem to support that level of discourse even in, you know, the greatest democracy on the planet. I've never pandered to the lowest common denominator. I have a good audience and I'm supposed to challenge them. I always expect the audience to make the journey with me. [on changing directions and writing 'The Last Ship', a Broadway musical] I had no interest in tailoring songs for Top 40 radio, for fourteen-year-old girls or boys.

I'm a sixty-two year old man. Where is the arena to present my work? It's not radio anymore. [on 'The Last Ship'] I enjoy having hits. I'd rather have a hit against the odds than a hit that obeys the formulaic rules. This is exactly the play I wanted to put on. It may be difficult, it may be ugly, but it's the one I wanted to do [on David Bowie ] We were totally captivated by his energetic charm, his extraordinary music, his art and his unique spirit. [on David Bowie ] We will never forget him. See also Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner | Tumblr Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner Loading... Show more notes Reblog Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner. Or better known as Sting: grandmaster of many instruments. Here shown with his signature Fender bass. They are sexy and They know it… They are funny too. The Best Of 25 Years Play Loading... Show more notes Reblog In my humble opinion as a songwriter, there are two kinds of love song. ‘I love you, You love Me’ that is boring, that leads to somewhere else.

'I love You, You love somebody else’, that’s interesting and yes it’s painful — Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (talk about When We Dance, Live in Berlin) STING GORDON MATTHEW THOMAS SUMNER Sting - Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner Biography - Early life Sumner was born in Wallsend, near Newcastle upon Tyne in northeast England, to Audrey Cowell and her husband, Ernest Sumner. He is the eldest of four children and has a brother, Philip, and two sisters, Angela and Anita. His father managed a dairy, and as a boy he would often assist him with the early morning milk delivery rounds. Sumner was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, due to the influence of his paternal grandmother, who was from an Irish family. He attended St. Cuthbert's Grammar School in Newcastle upon Tyne, and then the University of Warwick in Coventry, which he left after only one term. During this time, he would often sneak into nightclubs like the Club-A-Go-Go. Here, he would watch acts such as Jack Bruce and Jimi Hendrix who would later influence his music.

After jobs as a bus conductor, a construction labourer and a tax officer, he attended Northern Counties Teachers' Training College, which later became part of Northumbria University, from 1971 to 1974. He then worked as a teacher at St. Paul's First School in Cramlington for two years. From an early age, Sumner knew that he wanted to be a musician. His first music gigs were wherever he could get a job, performing evenings, weekends, and during vacations from college and teaching. He played with local jazz bands such as the Phoenix Jazzmen, the Newcastle Big Band, and Last Exit. Origin of nickname Sting has stated that he gained his nickname while with the Phoenix Jazzmen. He once performed wearing a black and yellow jersey with hooped stripes that bandleader Gordon Solomon had noted made him look like a bumblebee; thus Sumner became "Sting." He uses Sting almost exclusively, except on official documents.

In a press conference filmed in the movie "Bring on the Night", he jokingly stated his children call him "Sting." The Police In January 1977, Sting moved from Newcastle to London , and soon thereafter he joined Stewart Copeland and Henry Padovani (who was very soon replaced by Andy Summers) to form the new wave band The Police. Between 1978 and 1983, they released five chart-topping albums and won six Grammy Awards. Although their initial sound was punk inspired, The Police soon switched to reggae-tinged rock and minimalist pop. Their last album, Synchronicity, which included their most successful song, "Every Breath You Take", was released in 1983. Another popular song of the Police is "Don't Stand So Close to Me" which made number 1. 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, increasingly dismissed the possibility of reforming. In 2007, however, the band reformed and announced a world tour.

Early solo work In September 1981, Sting made his first live solo appearance, performing on all four nights of the fourth Amnesty International benefit The Secret Policeman's Other Ball at the invitation of producer Martin Lewis. He performed solo versions of "Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle", 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". The band and chorus included Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Phil Collins, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, all of whom (except Beck) later worked together on Live Aid . 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 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 from the Dennis Potter television play Brimstone and Treacle. The song was a re-interpretation of a song from the 1920s musical Mr.

Cinders by Vivian Ellis, and was a surprise Top 20 hit in the UK. 1980s Sting's first solo album, 1985's The Dream of the Blue Turtles, featured a cast of accomplished jazz musicians, including Kenny Kirkland, Darryl Jones, Omar Hakim, and Branford Marsalis. It included the hit single "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free". The single included a fan favorite non-LP track titled "Another Day". The album also yielded the hits "Fortress Around Your Heart", "Russians", and "Love is the Seventh Wave". Within a year, it reached Triple Platinum. This album would help Sting garner a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. The film and video "Bring On The Night" 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", a groundbreaking song by Dire Straits. He would perform 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 album You're Under Arrest.

He also sang backing vocals in Arcadia's single "The Promise" from their only album, "So Red The Rose". He also contributed a version of "Mack the Knife" to the Hal Willner-produced tribute album Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill. Sting released ...Nothing Like the Sun in 1987, including the hit songs "We'll Be Together", "Fragile", "Englishman in New York", 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 Hans Eisler, and "Englishman In New York" was about the eccentric writer Quentin Crisp. The album's title is taken from William Shakespeare 's Sonnet. Soon thereafter, in February 1988, he released Nada Como el Sol, a selection of five songs from Sun sung (by Sting himself) in Spanish and Portuguese .

Sting was also involved in two other recordings in the late 1980s, the first in 1987 with noted jazz arranger Gil Evans 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's 1988 "Broadway The Hard Way" album, where Sting performs an unusual arrangement of "Murder By Numbers", set to the tune "Stolen Moments" by jazz composer Oliver Nelson, and "dedicated" to fundamentalist evangelist Jimmy Swaggart. October 1988 saw the release of Igor Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale with the London Sinfonietta conducted by Kent Nagano. It featured Vanessa Redgrave, Sir Ian McKellen and Sting in the role of the soldier. 1990s Sting's 1991 album The Soul Cages was dedicated to his recently-deceased father and included the Top 10 song "All this Time" and the Grammy-winning "Soul Cages". The album eventually went Platinum.

The following year, he married Trudie Styler and was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in music from Northumbria University. In 1993, he released the album Ten Summoner's Tales, which went Triple Platinum in just over a year. The title is wordplay on his surname, Sumner and Geoffrey Chaucer's classic The Canterbury Tales. 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 album, "Demolition Man" for the Demolition Man film. Sting reached a pinnacle of success in 1994. Together with Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart, they performed the chart-topping song "All For Love" from the film The Three Musketeers. The song stayed at the top of the U.S. charts for five weeks and went Platinum; it is to date Sumner'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 gave him his second honorary doctorate of music degree in May. In November, he released a greatest hits compilation called Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting, which eventually was certified Double Platinum. Sting's 1996 album, Mercury Falling debuted strongly, but it dropped quickly on the charts. Yet, 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" (December). During this period, Sumner 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 film went through drastic overhauls and plot changes, many of which were documented by Sumner's wife, Trudie Styler. She captured the moment Sumner 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 premiered 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 was well ahead of its time in providing music, commentary and custom computer features describing Sumner and his music from his perspective. Also in 1996, Sting provided some vocals for the Tina Turner single On Silent Wings as a part of her Wildest Dreams album, this peaked at #13 in the UK. "Moonlight," a rare jazz performance by Sting for the 1995 remake of Sabrina, 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. The Emperor's New Groove soundtrack was released, however, with complete songs from the previous version of the film, which included Rascall Flatts and Shawn Colvin. 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 as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in David Lynch's Dune (1984) 2000s Sting's September 1999 album Brand New Day included the Top 40 hits "Brand New Day" and "Desert Rose" (Top 10). 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 Cheb Mami. For his performance, the Arab-American Institute Foundation gave him the Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Award. However, Sting was criticized for appearing in a Jaguar advertisement using "Desert Rose" as its backing track, particularly as he was a notable environmentalist. In February 2001, he won another Grammy. 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 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 should 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 same day, the project was altered in various ways. The webcast was shut down after one song (a reworked version of Fragile), 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" with Yo-Yo Ma and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City , Utah . In 2002 Sting won a Golden Globe Award and in June, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In the summer, Sting was awarded the honour of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

In 2003 with, he released Sacred Love, a studio album featuring collaborations with hip-hop artist Mary J. Blige and sitar maestro Anoushka Shankar. He and Blige won a Grammy for their duet, "Whenever I Say Your Name." His autobiography Broken Music was published in October. Sting embarked on a Sacred Love tour in 2004 with performances by Annie Lennox. Sting went on the Broken Music tour, touring smaller venues, with a four piece band kicking off in Los Angeles on 28 March 2005 and ending this "College Tour" on 14 May 2005. Continuing with his involvement in Live Aid, he appeared at Live 8 in July 2005.

During 2006, Sting collaborated with Roberto Livi in producing a Spanish language version of his cult classic "Fragile" entitled "Fragilidad" on the album "Rhythms Del Mondo" by Latino recording legends "The Buena Vista Sound" (previously known as the Buena Vista Social Club) available via In October 2006, Sting released an album, to mixed reviews, entitled Songs from the Labyrinth featuring the music of John Dowland (an Elizabethan-era composer) and accompaniment from Bosnian lute player Edin Karamazov. As a part of the promotion of this album, he appeared on the fifth episode of Studio 60 during which he performed a segment of Dowland's "Come Again" as well as his own "Fields of Gold" in the arrangement for voice and two archlutes. 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, Yahoo! etc.

On February 11, 2007, Sting reunited with the other members of the Police as the introductory act for the 2007 Grammy Awards, singing "Roxanne", and subsequently announced The Police Reunion Tour. 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 (1979) Martin Taylor, a drifter in Brimstone and Treacle (1982) Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in the movie Dune (1984) Mick, a black-marketeer in Plenty (1985) Baron Frankenstein in The Bride (1985) Himself in the documentary film Bring on the Night (1985) A "heroic officer" in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) Finney, a nightclub owner in Stormy Monday (1988) Daniel, British gentleman Julia and Julia (1988) Fledge in The Grotesque (1995), in which he appears nude Himself on The Simpsons episode Radio Bart (1992). J.D., Eddie's father and owner of a bar, in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) Himself on the Vicar of Dibley Comic Relief special (2007).

Sting narrated the American premier of the musical Yanomamo (1983), by Peter Rose and Anne Conlon 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 and Ally McBeal. He also provided the voice of Zarm on the 1990s television show Captain Planet and the Planeteers. In 1989 he starred as Macheath (Mack the Knife) in the The Threepenny Opera, the classic 1928 German musical work by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill in New York and Washington. He most recently appeared as a musical guest on the fictional series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Sting the musician on stage Activism While with the Police, Sting wrote "Driven to Tears," a scathing diatribe against world hunger, and it preceded his work on Sir Bob Geldof's "Feed The World" project.

Sumner sang on "Do They Know It's Christmas?" -- a hit single from Geldof's pop music super-group called "Band Aid" which eventually led to the Live Aid Concert in July of 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 and humanitarian movements, such as Amnesty International. In 1986 he was interviewed by the BBC about 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." His most high-profile contribution to the human-rights cause came in 1988, when he joined a team of major musicians and rising starsï¿½-including Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteenï¿½-assembled under the banner of Amnesty International for the six-week world Human Rights Now! Tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights .

In 1988, he released the single "They Dance Alone" which chronicled the plight of the wives and daughters of the disappeared, the innocent victims of the Pinochet regime in Chile. Unable to protest against the government about their missing loved ones, the women of Chile would pin photos of their relatives on their clothing, and dance in silent outrage against the government. With his wife Trudie Styler and Raoni Metuktire, a Kayapï¿½ Indian leader in Brazil , Sumner founded the Rainforest Foundation to help save the rainforests . 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. In the early 1990s, Sting performed with Don Henley and Billy Joel in New York's Madison Square Garden at The Concert for Walden Woods. 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, and performed at the Live 8 concert, the follow up to 1985's Live Aid Concert.

Sting is known to support cannabis reclassification in the United Kingdom. Following Tony Blair 's intention to revoke the rescheduling of cannabis executed in January 2006, he has joined a list of prominent figures who have written to the Prime Minister urging him to keep cannabis as a class C drug. [1] Personal life Sting married actress Frances Tomelty from Northern Ireland, on 1 May 1976. Before they divorced in 1984, the couple had two children: Joseph (born 1976) and Fuchsia Catherine (born 1982). Joe is following in his father's musical footsteps and is a member of the band Fiction Plane. 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. The couple eventually married in 1992. Sting and Styler have four children: Bridget Michael (a.k.a.

"Mickey," born 1984), Jake (born 1985), Eliot Pauline (nicknamed "Coco", born 1990), and Giacomo Luke (born 1995). Both of Sting's parents died from cancer in 1987. He did not, however, attend either funeral claiming that the media fuss would be a disrespect to his parents. Sumner owns several homes worldwide, including Elizabethan manor house Lake House and its 60-acre country estate in Wiltshire, England , a country cottage in the Lake District, a New York City apartment, a beach house in Malibu, California, a 600-acre estate in Tuscany, Italy , and two properties in London: an apartment on the Mall and an 18th century terrace house in Highgate. [2] According to an interview he did for German television broadcaster NDR in 1996 Sumner chose a tree on the Lake House estate beside which he wishes to be buried someday. Al TV (1988) (TV) ....

Himself Trivia Sting was the artist's inspiration for the physical appearance of the character John Constantine in the Hellblazer comic book series. This resemblance was not carried over to the 2005 film adaptation of the series, Constantine, starring Keanu Reeves . Sting was a fan and frequent passenger of British Airways' supersonic Concorde . He appeared in several documentaries and publications as an unofficial spokesperson for the high-speed service, during both its November 2001 relaunch (following a crash and the subsequent grounding of the aircraft) as well as the service's October 2003 retirement. The song "Russians" from The Dream of the Blue Turtles used a theme (Suite from Lieutenant Kije, Op. 60) by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. Sting subsequently served as narrator for Peter and the Wolf: A Prokofiev Fantasy, one of the many versions of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf that have been recorded by celebrities.

In the official VHS release of the Synchronicity Tour, at the very beginning just before the performance, Sting can be heard playing ad-lib tunes on his bass, and the Cat Tune from Peter and the Wolf can be clearly recognised. A species of Colombian tree frog, Dendropsophus stingi (renamed from Hyla stingi in 2005), was named after him in recognition of his "commitment and efforts to save the rain forest" (Kaplan 1994). To keep physically fit, for years Sting ran five miles a day, and performed aerobics. However, around 1990 he met Danny Paradise who introduced him to yoga. Soon after, Sting began practicing yoga regularly. His practice consists primarily of an Ashtanga Vinyasa series, though he has experimented with other forms. Although Sting famously claimed to have had long bouts of tantric sex with his wife, he has more recently said that it was a dinner-party joke that took on a life of its own.

This "tantric sex" would be immortalized in Barenaked Ladies' 1998 smash hit "One Week", stating "Like Sting, I'm tantric..." Sting has his own signature Fender Precision Bass, but over the years, has played a variety of basses, including a fretless Fender Precision Bass, a 1960s Fender Jazz Bass, a fretless Ibanez Musician Bass, a Spector NS-1, a Steinberger L2, a Framus electric double bass, and several others. 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo is named after Sting's son. Wrote the song Lullaby To An Anxious Child for his son Giacomo. Released the song on the You Still Touch Me CD Maxi Single in 1996. Sting has recorded a version of his song A Thousand Years with the fado singer Mariza In a music video of 'We'll be together', Sting was wearing a home-made jumper of Belgian Comic character, Tintin and Snowy.

All This Time Lyrics, Sheet Music, Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner Sheet Music Sting Lyrics Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, CBE (born 2 October 1951), better known by the stage name Sting is an English musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, activist, actor and philanthropist. He is best known as the principal songwriter, lead singer and bassist for the rock band The Police before launching a solo career. Sting has varied his musical style, incorporating distinct elements of jazz, reggae, classical, New Age, and worldbeat into his music. As a solo musician and member of the Police, Sting has received 16 Grammy Awards for his work, receiving his first Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1981, three Brit Awards - winning Best British Male in 1994, a Golden Globe, an Emmy Award, and several Oscar nominations for Best Original Song. He is a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Sting - The Studio Collection [VINYL] Box set - by Sting; Fields Of Gold - The Best Of Sting 1984 - 1994; The Dream Of The Blue Turtles - by Sting; Nothing Like The Sun - by Sting MP3 Download and more All This Time Lyrics I saw a city in the fog and an old church tower Where the seagulls play I saw the sad shire horses walking home In the sodium light I saw two priests on the ferry October geese on a cold winter's night And all this time, the river flowed Endlessly to the sea Two priests came round our house tonight One young, one old, to offer prayers for the dying To serve the final rite One to learn, one to teach Which was the cold wind blows Fussing and flapping in priestly black Like a murder of crows And all this time, the river flowed Endlessly to the sea If I had my way I'd take a boat from the river And I'd bury the old man, I'd bury him at sea Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the earth Better to be poor than a fat man in the eye of a needle And as these words were spoken I swore I hear The old man laughing

 'What good is a used up world and how could it be Worth having' And all this time the river flowed Endlessly like a silent tear And all this time the river flowed Father, if Jesus exists, Then how come he never lived here The teachers told us, the Romans built this place They built a wall and a temple, an edge of the empire Garrison town, They lived and they died, they prayed to their gods But the stone gods did not make a sound And their empire crumbled, 'til all that was left Were the stones the workmen found And all this time the river flowed In the falling light of a northern sun If I had my way I'd take a boat from the river Men go crazy in congregations But they only get better One by one Valparaiso Lyrics, Sheet Music, Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner Sheet Music Sting Lyrics Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, CBE (born 2 October 1951), better known by the stage name Sting is an English musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, activist, actor and philanthropist.

He is best known as the principal songwriter, lead singer and bassist for the rock band The Police before launching a solo career. Sting has varied his musical style, incorporating distinct elements of jazz, reggae, classical, New Age, and worldbeat into his music. As a solo musician and member of the Police, Sting has received 16 Grammy Awards for his work, receiving his first Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1981, three Brit Awards - winning Best British Male in 1994, a Golden Globe, an Emmy Award, and several Oscar nominations for Best Original Song. He is a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Sting - The Studio Collection [VINYL] Box set - by Sting; Fields Of Gold - The Best Of Sting 1984 - 1994; The Dream Of The Blue Turtles - by Sting; Nothing Like The Sun - by Sting MP3 Download and more Valparaiso Lyrics Home where my true love is waiting for me Rope the south wind So she can safely go Round the Cape Horn to Valparaiso Red the port light How will she know of the devils I've seen Cross in the sky, star of the sea Under the moonlight, there she can safely go Round the Cape Horn to Valparaiso And every road I walked would take me down to the sea With every broken promise in my sack And every love would always send the ship of my heart Over the rolling sea She'll never know if I'm damned or I'm saved See the ghost fly over the sea Under the moonlight, there she can safely go Round the Cape Horn to Valparaiso The Very Best of Sting and the Police The Very Best of Sting and the Police by The Police and Sting. For Piano/Vocal/Guitar. Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook. Pop Rock, Adult Contemporary and Rock.

Difficulty: medium. Songbook. Vocal melody, piano accompaniment, lyrics, chord names and guitar chord diagrams. 72 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.313102). ISBN 0793594243. With vocal melody, piano accompaniment, lyrics, chord names and guitar chord diagrams. Pop Rock, Adult Contemporary and Rock. 9x12 inches. Fifteen hits from this supergroup and Sting's solo career: Can't Stand Losing You * Don't Stand So Close to Me * Englishman in New York * Every Breath You Take * Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic * Fields of Gold * If I Ever Lose My Faith in You * If You Love Somebody Set Them Free * Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot * Message in a Bottle * Roxanne * Roxanne '97 - Puff Daddy Remix * Russians * Walking on the Moon * When We Dance. Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 by Sting. For Guitar, Piano/Keyboard, Vocal. Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook.

Pop Rock and Adult Contemporary. Difficulty: medium. Songbook. Vocal melody, piano accompaniment, lyrics, chord names and guitar chord diagrams. 94 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.306015). ISBN 0793540550. With vocal melody, piano accompaniment, lyrics, chord names and guitar chord diagrams. Pop Rock and Adult Contemporary. 9x12 inches. The Best Of Sting 1984-1994 Matching folio to his greatest hits album featuring 14 songs: Fortress Around Your Heart * If I Ever Lose My Faith In You * We'll Be Together * When We Dance * and more. The pirate's bride Lyrics, Sheet Music, Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner Sheet Music Sting Lyrics Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, CBE (born 2 October 1951), better known by the stage name Sting is an English musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, activist, actor and philanthropist. He is best known as the principal songwriter, lead singer and bassist for the rock band The Police before launching a solo career.

Sting has varied his musical style, incorporating distinct elements of jazz, reggae, classical, New Age, and worldbeat into his music. As a solo musician and member of the Police, Sting has received 16 Grammy Awards for his work, receiving his first Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1981, three Brit Awards - winning Best British Male in 1994, a Golden Globe, an Emmy Award, and several Oscar nominations for Best Original Song. He is a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Sting - The Studio Collection [VINYL] Box set - by Sting; Fields Of Gold - The Best Of Sting 1984 - 1994; The Dream Of The Blue Turtles - by Sting; Nothing Like The Sun - by Sting MP3 Download and more The pirate's bride Lyrics Sometimes in the light at the edge of the world Is the ghost of a ship with it's black sail furled And night after night she would stand on the shore And dream of the love that she knew before The tide rolls out, the tide rolls in Without a thought for the ways of men We set sail for the Spanish Main To rob the ships of the Queen of Spain And she would be his pirate's bride She gave him the pistol and the sword at his side The tide rolls out, the tide rolls in Without a care for the ways of men I'd give three ships of Spanish gold To see my love again Full fathom five my true love lies In a fine wooden casket with gold on his eyes Where is the glory and where is the pride? Where is the joy for the pirate's bride?

The tide rolls out, the tide rolls in Without a care for the ways of men Here in the light at the edge of the world He'd wait for a ship with it's black sail furled And day after day he would stand on the shore And dream of the life that they knew before The tide rolls out, the tide rolls in Without a care for the ways of men I'd give three ships of Spanish gold To see my love again The Very Best of Sting and the Police The Very Best of Sting and the Police by The Police and Sting. For Piano/Vocal/Guitar. Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook. Pop Rock, Adult Contemporary and Rock. Difficulty: medium. Songbook. Vocal melody, piano accompaniment, lyrics, chord names and guitar chord diagrams. 72 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.313102). ISBN 0793594243. With vocal melody, piano accompaniment, lyrics, chord names and guitar chord diagrams. Pop Rock, Adult Contemporary and Rock. 9x12 inches.

Fifteen hits from this supergroup and Sting's solo career: Can't Stand Losing You * Don't Stand So Close to Me * Englishman in New York * Every Breath You Take * Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic * Fields of Gold * If I Ever Lose My Faith in You * If You Love Somebody Set Them Free * Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot * Message in a Bottle * Roxanne * Roxanne '97 - Puff Daddy Remix * Russians * Walking on the Moon * When We Dance. Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 by Sting. For Guitar, Piano/Keyboard, Vocal. Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook. Pop Rock and Adult Contemporary. Difficulty: medium. Songbook. Vocal melody, piano accompaniment, lyrics, chord names and guitar chord diagrams. 94 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.306015). ISBN 0793540550. With vocal melody, piano accompaniment, lyrics, chord names and guitar chord diagrams. Pop Rock and Adult Contemporary. 9x12 inches.

The Best Of Sting 1984-1994 Matching folio to his greatest hits album featuring 14 songs: Fortress Around Your Heart * If I Ever Lose My Faith In You * We'll Be Together * When We Dance * and more.

Question: What is Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner's stage name?
Answer: Sting