Sting's career highlights from The Police to multi award-winning solo artist
He's set to play plenty of UK outdoor shows and festivals next year!
Sting, real name Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, was born on 2nd October 1951 and is best known as the lead singer of The Police. Later cementing his legendary status as a solo artist, he released huge hits like ‘All for Love’ (with Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart) and ‘When We Dance’. Collecting a plethora awards throughout the decades, it's fair to say he's one of the biggest music artists of all time.
During his time in the music industry, as a solo artist and member of The Police, Sting has won 18 Grammy Awards, three BRIT Awards, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and in 2023 he received the coveted songwriting honour at The Ivors.
Who is Sting?
Sting is an English musician, who was the principal songwriter, lead singer, and bassist for the rock band The Police. He was in the band from 1977 to 1984, until he launched a solo career in 1985.
What is Sting’s real name?
Sting's real name is Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner.
How old is Sting?
Sting was born 2nd October 1951, making him 73-years-old at the time of writing.
Where is Sting from?
Sting is from Wallsend, Northumberland in England.
Where did Sting get his stage name from?
Many fans have always wondered about the origin of Sting's unusual nickname. It is believed to come from his habit of wearing a black-and-yellow striped sweater resembling a wasp!
Which band was Sting in?
Sting was in The Police. He joined the band in 1977 after moving to London from Newcastle. The singer was part of the original band line-up, which included Stewart Copeland and Henry Padovani.
After releasing their first album in 1978, The Police released one album every year until 1983. During this time, they won six Grammy Awards and two BRIT Awards. These included one for Best British Group and one for Outstanding Contribution to Music.
Their sound started off as punk-inspired. However, it soon switched to reggae rock and minimalist pop, helping four of the band's five albums to appear on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 'Every Breath You Take' and 'Roxanne' both appeared on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, both were written by Sting.
In 2003, the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and they were also included in Rolling Stone's and VH1's lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
When did Sting go solo?
Sting went solo after The Police split in 1984. He released his first album, 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles', in 1985 which included the hit singles 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free' and 'Fortress Around Your Heart.' Sting then went on to release a second solo album in 1987 called '...Nothing Like the Sun'.
However, it wasn't until 1991 when Sting's solo career went from strength to strength. The lead single from his album, 'The Soul Cages' under the same name, won a Grammy Award and the album went platinum. From 1991, he released several other albums and had a musical hiatus for from 1997 to 1999.
In 1999, Sting released 'Brand New Day' - an album that won a Grammy for its body of work and for the lead single under the same name.
Since 2000, Sting has produced many more albums, working with other artists like Mary J. Blige, and has moved into the film industry, winning a Golden Globe Award for "Until..." from the film Kate & Leopold.
Sting has also appeared in TV shows such as Only Murders in the Building, which starred American comedians Martin Short and Steve Martin, with singer Selena Gomez.
How many solo albums has Sting released?
Sting has released 15 solo studio albums. The first was 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles' in 1985, and the latest - his 15th album - was 'The Bridge', released in 2021.
Was Sting in Friends?
Unlike many celebrities, Sting didn't appear in the American sitcom Friends. However, the show's set designer Greg Grande claimed he was supposed to, but never turned up.
Greg told The Metro: "We had Trudie Styler (Sting's second wife) because Sting was supposed to show up." Sting's representatives have denied this was ever the case, saying he was never asked to feature in the show.
Who is Sting married to?
Sting was married to actress Frances Tomelty from 1976 until 1984. During their marriage, they had two children: Joseph and Fuchsia Katherine.
In 1992, Sting married Trudie Styler. They have four children together: Brigitte Michael, Jake, Eliot Paulina and Giacomo Luke.
Now take a look at Sting's amazing career so far:
1977 - The formation of The Police
Sting, along with Stewart Copeland and Henry Padovani formed The Police in 1977. However, it wasn't long before there were some line-up changes with the addition of Andy Summers. The band then spent some time as a four-piece band, but it was short-lived when Henry then left, and the band continued as a trio.
'Fall Out' was the band's first single, which included the original line-up of Sting, Stewart Copeland and Henry Padovani.
1979 - The Police re-released ’Roxanne’
It wasn't until 1979 that The Police had success in the charts with the re-release of their song 'Roxanne'. The song originally failed to chart in the UK, when it was released in 1978.
Following its re-release the song peaked at Number 12 and was ranked 388 in Rolling Stone's '500 Greatest Songs of All Time'.
As part of The Police, Sting had huge success with many songs he wrote including Number 1 hits 'Message in a Bottle' (1979), 'Walking on the Moon' (1979), 'Don't Stand So Close to Me' (1980), 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' (1981), and 'Every Breath You Take' (1983).
1984 ‘Every Breath You Take’ won two Ivor Novello Awards
'Every Breath You Take' was nominated for four Ivor Novello Awards, winning two - The Best Song Musically And Lyrically and Most Performed Work. In total Sting has won seven Ivor Novello Awards for his work between 1982 and 2002.
1985 - Sting released ‘The Dream of the Blue Turtles’
'The Dream of the Blue Turtles' was Sting's debut solo album. The singer released five songs from the album including his Number 12 hit 'Russians'.
Sting received several Grammy nominations for his album including ones for Album of the Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Jazz Instrumental Performance and Best Engineered Recording.
1986 - The Police started their hiatus
The Police started their hiatus which was to last until 2007, with a brief reunion in 2003, when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1988 - ‘Nothing Like the Sun’ won a BRIT Award
'Nothing Like the Sun' won a BRIT Award for Best British Album.
'Nothing Like the Sun' was Sting's second solo album and featured singles 'We'll Be Together', 'Be Still My Beating Heart', 'Englishman in New York', 'Fragile', and 'They Dance Alone'.
1990 - Remix of ‘Englishman in New York’ released
Once again it took a re-release of one of Sting's songs to see chart success. Originally released in 1988 'Englishman in New York' only reached Number 51 in the UK, however it was successful across Europe. It wasn't until 1990 that the song was remixed and released in the UK reaching Number 15.
1992 - Sting received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of Northumbria
Sting was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music by the University of Northumbria in 1992. Sting is pictured with his wife Trudie Styler.
1994 - Sting won a BRIT Award and several Grammys
Sting won a BRIT Award for British Male Solo Artist in 1994. Sting was also nominated for seven Grammy Awards winning three, he won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for 'If I Ever Lose My Faith in You', and Best Music Video, Long Form and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for 'Ten Summoner's Tales.'
2000 - Sting received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Sting received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000.
2002 - Sting won a Golden Globe and inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame
Sting's song 'Until' won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Barry Manilow, Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Michael Jackson, and Randy Newman were also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame that year.
2003 - Sting received a CBE
Sting received a CBE for services to music, from Queen Elizabeth II.
At the time Sting said: "I'm surprised and flattered to receive this honour. If my mum and dad were still here they would be made up."
He also won the Century Award at the Billboard Music Awards.
2007 - The Police reunite
In February 2007, The Police reunited to open the 49th Annual Grammy Awards with their hit 'Roxanne', to celebrate their 30th anniversary. The band then went on 'The Police Reunion Tour' later that year, with the UK leg of the tour selling out in just 30 minutes.
2010 - Sting released ‘Symphonicities’
'Symphonicities' was Sting's 10th studio album, it contained new recordings of existing songs and featured hits such as 'Englishman in New York', 'Roxanne' and 'I Burn for You'.
The album accompanied Sting's album of the same name which saw the songwriter embark on a world tour across 2010 and 2011, including 133 shows.
2014 - Sting received a Kennedy Center Honor
In 2014, Sting was made a Kennedy Center Honoree at the White House. The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual ceremony where the honours are given to those in the performing arts who have contributed to American culture. In the same year that Sting received his honour, Al Green, Tom Hanks, Patricia McBride, and Lily Tomlin also received them.
2014/2015 - Sting and Paul Simon go on tour
Sting and Paul Simon join forces for their 'On Stage Together Tour'. The tour sees the pair performing at 52 shows across North America, Europe and Oceania.
2017 - Sting jointly won the Polar Music Prize
In 2017, Sting was awarded the Polar Music Prize jointly with Wayne Shorter from the USA. The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by the manager of the Swedish band ABBA, Stig Anderson. Every year the award is given to one contemporary musician and one classical musician.
2018 - Sting's musical The Last Ship goes on a UK tour
Sting's musical The Last Ship had its world premiere back in 2014, however it wasn't until 2018, that the musical was performed in the UK.
The musical was created as a tribute to the shipbuilding community where Sting grew up in Wallsend.
The UK version starred Jimmy Nail, who also appeared in the short-lived Broadway shows in 2014 - 2015.
2021 - Sting released ‘Duets’ and 'The Bridge'
Sting released a compilation album in March 2021 called 'Duets'. The album contains 17 collaborations with the likes of Eric Clapton, Mary J. Blige, Shaggy, and Annie Lennox.
In November 2021, Sting released his 15th studio album called 'The Bridge'. The album reached Number 27 in the UK.
2022 - The Police: Around The World Restored & Expanded
In 2022, The Police announced the release of a remastered version of their Around The World documentary which originally came out in 1982. The new version, called The Police: Around The World Restored & Expanded, has remastered footage as well as previously unseen clips from their first world tour.
2022 - 'Every Breath You Take' surpasses 1 billion views on YouTube
In October, The Police's 1983 track 'Every Breath You Take' hit a new milestone as the music video surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube. The video was added in 2010 and has proved it's still just as popular to this date!
2023 - Sting receives coveted songwriting honour
Sting received a coveted Academy Fellow award at The Ivors ceremony on Thursday 18th May at Grosvenor House in London.
2024 - Sting announces a series of UK outdoor and festival shows
September 2024 brought the announcement that Sting was set for a big 2025 - revealing that he is set to perform a multitude of shows across the UK, at various outdoor venues and festivals. With huge festivals such as the Isle Of Wight and Latitude on the list, it was also revealed that he was set to play more outdoor shows in summer 2025 as part of his 'STING 3.0 World Tour'.
Promising to perform the most electrifying hits and rarities from Sting's timeless discography, shows were revealed to be taking place in locations such as Tetbury, Liverpool, Glasgow, Cannock and Cardiff, as well as shows at the Isle Of Wight Festival and Latitude Festival, in Suffolk.
Now read:
The Police: The band that gave us 'Message In a Bottle' and 'Roxanne'
Bryan Adams: How the 'Groover From Vancouver' became famous