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Sting -

Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, better known as Sting, was born on October 2, 1951 in Wallsend, a town in Northumberland in north-east England. As a youngster, he demonstrated an aptitude for music, and in particular jazz. Later, as a member of the Phoenix Jazzmen, he was nicknamed "Sting" by bandmates after his habit of wearing a black and yellow striped sweater.

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Strontium 90 -

Sting was a natural on the bass guitar and performed with several groups before forming the Police with American drummer Stewart Copeland and Corsican guitarist Henri Padovani, who was soon replaced by Englishman Andy Summers. It was 1977 and the punk rock revolution was turning popular music on its head. Sting is pictured performing on stage for the first and only time with the band known as Strontium 90, at the Hippodrome de Pantin in Paris on May 28, 1977. This was the first time that the three members of the nascent Police—Sting together with Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland—performed together.

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Call the Police -

Sting performing on stage with the newly-formed Police at the Mont de Marsan Festival in France in August 1977.

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The Police -

The new trio released 'Roxanne' in the spring of 1978, and the band secured a record deal. But the single initially flopped. Lack of UK chart success prompted the band to seek solace in the US. The threesome toured the country in a small van, playing low-key gigs and slowly building up a loyal following. The Police returned to England as the now more favorable 'Roxanne' was rereleased to enthusiastic reviews. Suddenly the band was in demand.

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'Outlandos d'Amour' -

The band's debut album, 'Outlandos d'Amour,' was released in October 1978. It included 'Roxanne' and the follow-up singles 'Can't Stand Losing You' and 'So Lonely.' All were sizeable hits.

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'Quadrophenia' (1978) -

Sting's pinup looks hadn't gone unnoticed by filmmakers. He made his first big screen appearance in 'Quadrophenia,' a drama loosely based on The Who's 1973 rock opera of the same name.

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Reading Festival -

The Police perform on stage as headliners at the Reading Festival on August 24, 1979 in Reading, England.

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'Reggatta de Blanc' -

Released in October 1979, 'Reggatta de Blanc,' the band's second album, saw the Police up their game, with Sting responsible for its two biggest hits, 'Message in a Bottle' and 'Walking on the Moon'—their first UK number ones.

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'Zenyatta Mondatta' -

In 1980, the Police embarked on a sold-out world tour, which included promotional TV appearances on programs like 'Don Kirshner's Rock Concert' show (pictured) in Los Angeles. In October of 1980, 'Zenyatta Mondatta' was released. This third album spawned the hit singles 'Don't Stand So Close to Me' and 'De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da.'

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'Ghost in the Machine' -

The Police's fourth album, 1981's 'Ghost in the Machine,' was recorded at AIR Studios in Montserrat (pictured) and Le Studio in Quebec. Another huge hit, the album produced the highly successful singles 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,' 'Invisible Sun,' and 'Spirits in the Material World.'

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'Brimstone and Treacle' (1982) -

Sting was back in front of the cameras in 1982 in the film version of 'Brimstone and Treacle,' written by acclaimed British playwright Dennis Potter and originally produced for television. The movie's soundtrack includes numbers by the Police and Sting himself, including his rendition of 'Spread a Little Happiness,' which provided the singer-songwriter with a surprise solo hit.

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'Synchronicity' -

The Police's final studio album was 1983's 'Synchronicity.' The single 'Every Breath You Take' climbed to the top of the American and British charts. Regarded as the band's and Sting's signature song, 'Every Breath You Take' is also noted for its sinister theme being one of obsession and surveillance and, ultimately, stalking.

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Sting quits the Police -

It was during the band's August 18, 1983 concert at Shea Stadium in New York City (pictured) that Sting decided to leave the Police to concentrate on a solo career. While never formally breaking up, the band went their separate ways to pursue personal music projects. They did reform, in 2007, for a one-off reunion tour.

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'Dune' (1984) -

A futuristic-looking Sting in the science fiction epic 'Dune.' Despite an all-star ensemble cast, the movie bombed and left many burying their heads in the sand. But 'Dune' has over time developed a cult following, with director David Lynch enjoying redemption of sorts for his efforts.

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'The Bride' (1985) -

Another film appearance saw Sting portray Baron Charles Frankenstein and Jennifer Beals as Eva, a woman he creates in the same fashion as his infamous monster. The movie was a another critical and commercial failure, and the musician quickly returned to what he does best, making music!

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Going solo -

Sting's first solo album was 1985's 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles.' The album was a revelation and marked a return to Sting's jazzy roots. Indeed, the project featured the cream of America's young black jazz musicians —Kenny Kirkland, Omar Hakim, Darryl Jones, and Branford Marsalis. New material included the singles 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free' and 'Russians,' which uses the Romance theme from the 'Lieutenant Kijé Suite' by Russian classical music composer Sergei Prokofiev.

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'Live Aid' (1985) -

Sting made a memorable appearance in July 1985 at the Live Aid concert in London. He performed a number of Police hits and joined Dire Straits in 'Money for Nothing' (pictured). He also sang two duets with Phil Collins. Sting was also in the lineup for the 20th anniversary gig Live 8 in 2005, also held in London.

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'Nothing Like the Sun' (1987) -

One of Sting's most most recognizable and popular songs in North America is 'We'll Be Together,' taken from the 1987 album 'Nothing Like the Sun.'

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Activism -

Live Aid's theme was very much in keeping with Sting's commitment to publicizing social, political, and humanitarian issues. His involvement with human rights, for example, stretches back as far as 1981. He's pictured with U2's Bono at an Amnesty International concert in 1986.

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Rainforest Foundation International -

In 1989, Sting cofounded Rainforest Foundation International (today known as the Rainforest Foundation Fund) with Belgian environmentalist Jean-Pierre Dutilleux. Sting's wife-to-be, Trudy Styler, was another cofounder. Sting is pictured with Amazon Indian chief Raoni Metuktir, who made a personal request to them to help his community protect their lands and culture.

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Marriage to Trudie Styler -

Sting tied the knot with English actress, film producer, and director Trudy Styler in 1992. It was his second marriage after divorcing Francis Tomelty in 1984.

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Awards winner -

Sting has so far received 17 Grammy Awards for his music, among many other accolades. He's pictured at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000 with a further two to add to his growing collection.

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Best Original Song -

Sting holds his award for Best Original Song 'Until...' from 'Kate & Leopold' at the 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2002 in Beverly Hills, California.

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Outstanding Contribution to Music -

Sting wins the Outstanding Contribution to Music award during the Mastercard 2002 Brit Awards in London in 2003.

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CBE -

Also in 2003, the singer-songwriter was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the music industry. "I'm surprised and flattered to receive this honor," he remarked at the time. He's pictured with wife Trudy and two of his four children by her, Coco and Kate, at Buckingham Palace. Sting also has two other children from his first marriage.

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Multi-instrumentalist -

Sting is an accomplished musician. Besides bass guitar, he can play the mandolin, lute (pictured), piano, harmonica, saxophone, and pan-flute. He received an honorary Doctorate of Music degree from Northumbria University in October 1992, and from Berklee College of Music in May 1994.

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Autobiography -

In 2005, Sting published his autobiography 'Broken Music.' The memoir features a photograph of the young Gordon Sumner wearing his trademark black and yellow striped sweater.

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'The Last Ship' -

Sting paid tribute to his place of birth and its seafaring heritage by writing the music and lyrics for the play 'The Last Ship.' Inspired by his own childhood experiences and the shipbuilding industry in Wallsend, the play toured the UK and America and was critically acclaimed, receiving two Tony Award nominations in 2015, for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations. Sting is pictured on the set of 'The Last Ship' in the Neil Simon Theatre in New York City.

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Kennedy Center Honoree -

US President Barack Obama and others clap for musician Al Green, actor Tom Hanks, ballerina Patricia McBride, Sting, and actress Lily Tomlin during the annual Kennedy Center Honors at the White House in Washington, D.C. in December 2014.

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Joint concerts -

In February 2014, Sting embarked on a joint concert tour titled On Stage Together with Paul Simon. The pair are pictured performing on stage in Birmingham, England. The following year he performed a 19-date joint concert summer tour of North America with Peter Gabriel.

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Bataclan concert -

In an emotionally charged atmosphere, Sting reopened the historic Bataclan music venue in Paris on November 12, 2016. He was joined on stage by the Police's former guitar player, French native Henry Padovani, for 'Next to You,' one of the encores. On November 13, 2015, 90 people were killed in a coordinated terrorist attack in the theater.

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Sale of song catalog -

In February 2022, Sting joined the long list of aging rockers who have sold their song catalogs for hundreds of millions. He sold his own copyrights to Universal Music for a whopping US$300 million. His catalog contains more than 600 songs, including hits like 'Roxanne,' 'Every Breath You Take,' and 'Message in a Bottle.'

Sources: (Sting.com) (Biography) (IMDb)

See also: Celebrities who champion environmentalism

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