Sting (1951-…) is a popular English rock musician, composer, and actor. He achieved international fame as a member of the rock trio The Police. Sting played bass in the group and was also its principal singer and composer. The other members of the trio were the American drummer Stewart Copeland and the English guitarist Andy Summers. Sting has won a number of Grammy Awards for his music with The Police and as a solo performer.
Sting was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, on Oct. 2, 1951. His real name was Gordon Matthew Sumner. His professional name originated from a beelike yellow and black jersey he frequently wore as a young musician. Sting held a number of jobs and played in jazz combos in the Newcastle area until he met American drummer Stewart Copeland. They formed The Police in 1977 and were recognized as a major rock group following the success of the album Outlandos d’Amour (1978). The Police broke up in 1986, and Sting began a solo career. The group reunited in 2007 for a concert tour in the United States and Canada.
Sting’s major compositions with The Police include “Message in a Bottle” and “Walking on the Moon” (both 1978), “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” (1981), “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (1981), and “Every Breath You Take” (1983). After leaving The Police, his notable compositions included “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” (1985); “Bring on the Night” and “We’ll Be Together” (both 1987); “All This Time” and “Soul Cages” (both 1991); “All for Love” (1993, with Rod Stewart and Bryan Adams ); “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You” (1993); “Brand New Day” (1999); “She Walks This Earth” (2000); and “Whenever I Say Your Name” (2003, with Mary J. Blige ). In 2014, Sting released the album The Last Ship. Later that year, a musical of the same name with music and lyrics by Sting opened on Broadway. Sting joined the cast for a number of performances in late 2014 and early 2015.
Sting has appeared in several movies, beginning with the rock film Quadrophenia (1978). His other films include Dune (1984), The Bride (1985), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989), and The Grotesque (1995).
Sting was married to the Northern Ireland actress Frances Tomelty from 1976 to 1984. He married the British actress Trudie Styler in 1992. In 1989, with Styler and a Brazilian Indian leader, Sting cofounded the Rainforest Foundation to help protect the world’s rain forests . Sting is also active in humanitarian causes. He wrote a memoir, Sting: Broken Music (2003). The Police were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Sting became a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2014.
