Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (born 2 October 1951), known asSting, is an English musician and actor. He was thefrontman, principal songwriter andbassist for therock bandthe Police from 1977 until their break-up in 1986. He launched a solo career in 1985 and has included elements of rock,jazz,reggae, classical,new-age, andworldbeat in his music.[1]
Wallsendshipyard on theRiver Tyne in 1964, near where Sting grew up. His childhood experiences and the local shipbuilding industry were the inspiration for his 2014 musicalThe Last Ship, which is also set in Wallsend.
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner was born atSir G B Hunter Memorial Hospital inWallsend, Northumberland, England, on 2 October 1951,[8][9][10] the eldest of four children of Audrey (née Cowell), a hairdresser, and Ernest Matthew Sumner, a milkman and former fitter at an engineering works.[11] He grew up near Wallsend'sshipyards, which made an impression on him. As a child, he was inspired by theQueen Mother waving at him from aRolls-Royce to divert from the shipyard prospect towards a more glamorous life.[12][13] He helped his father deliver milk and by ten was "obsessed" with an old Spanish guitar left by an emigrating friend of his father.[14]
Sting attendedSt Cuthbert's Grammar School inNewcastle upon Tyne. He visited nightclubs such as Club A'Gogo to seeCream andManfred Mann, who influenced his music.[15] He learned to sing and play simultaneously by listening to records at 78 rpm.[16] After leaving school in 1969, he enrolled at theUniversity of Warwick inCoventry, but left after a term. After working as a bus conductor, building labourer, and tax officer, he attended the Northern Counties College of Education (nowNorthumbria University) from 1971 to 1974 and qualified as a teacher.[17] He taught at St Paul's First School inCramlington for two years.[18]
Sting performedjazz in the evenings, at weekends, and during breaks from college and teaching, playing with the Phoenix Jazzmen, Newcastle Big Band andLast Exit.[19] He gained his nickname after his habit of wearing a black and yellow jumper with hooped stripes with the Phoenix Jazzmen. Bandleader Gordon Solomon thought he looked like abee (or according to Sting himself, "they thought I looked like awasp"), which prompted the name "Sting".[20][21] In the 1985 documentaryBring On the Night a journalist called him Gordon, to which he replied, "My children call me Sting, my mother calls me Sting, who is this Gordon character?"[22] In 2011, he toldTime "I was never called Gordon. You could shout 'Gordon' in the street and I would just move out of your way".[23] Despite this, he chose not to legally change his name to "Sting".[24]
In January 1977, Sting joinedStewart Copeland andHenry Padovani (soon replaced byAndy Summers) to form the Police, becoming the band's lead singer, bass player, and primary songwriter. From 1978 to 1983, the Police had five UK chart-topping albums, won sixGrammy Awards and won twoBrit Awards (for Best British Group and for Outstanding Contribution to Music).[25][26] Their initial sound waspunk-inspired, but they switched toreggae rock and minimalist pop. Their final album,Synchronicity, was nominated for fiveGrammy Awards includingAlbum of the Year in 1983. It included their most successful song, "Every Breath You Take", written by Sting.
Even though logic would say, "Are you out of your mind? You're in the biggest band in the world – just bite the bullet and make some money." But there continued to be some instinct, against logic, against good advice, [that] told me I should quit.
According to Sting, appearing in the documentaryLast Play at Shea, he decided to leave the Police while onstage during a concert of 18 August 1983 atShea Stadium in New York City because he felt that playing that venue was "[Mount] Everest".[28] While never formally breaking up, afterSynchronicity, the group agreed to concentrate on solo projects.[29] As the years went by, the band members, especially Sting, dismissed the possibility of reforming. In 2007, the band did reform temporarily for the purpose of undertakinga reunion tour.[30]
In England, our house is surrounded by barley fields, and in the summer it's fascinating to watch the wind moving over the shimmering surface, like waves on an ocean of gold. There's something inherently sexy about the sight, something primal, as if the wind were making love to the barley. Lovers have made promises here, I'm sure, their bonds strengthened by the comforting cycle of the seasons.
In May 1993, he covered his own Police song from theGhost in the Machine album, "Demolition Man", for theDemolition Man film. With Bryan Adams andRod Stewart, Sting performed "All for Love" for the filmThe Three Musketeers. The song stayed at the top of the U.S. charts for three weeks, topped multiple other charts worldwide and reached number two in the UK. In February, he won two Grammy Awards and was nominated for three more.[50]Berklee College of Music awarded him his second honorary doctorate of music in May. In November, he released the compilation,Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting, which was certified Double Platinum. That year, he sang withVanessa Williams on "Sister Moon" and appeared on her albumThe Sweetest Days. At the1994Brit Awards in London, he was Best British Male.[51]
Sting's 1996 album,Mercury Falling, debuted strongly, with the single "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" reaching number 15 in the UK Singles Chart, but the album soon dropped from the charts. He reached the UKTop 40 with two further singles the same year with "You Still Touch Me" (number 27 in June) and "I Was Brought To My Senses" (number 31 in December). The song "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying" from this album also became a US country music hit in 1997 in a version withToby Keith. Sting recorded music for the Disney filmKingdom of the Sun, which was reworked intoThe Emperor's New Groove. The film's overhauls and plot changes were documented by Sting's wife, Trudie Styler, as the changes resulted in some songs not being used.[52]
A period of relative musical inactivity followed from 1997, before Sting eventually re-emerged in September 1999, with a new albumBrand New Day, which gave him two more UK Top 20 hits in the title track "Brand New Day" (a UK number 13 hit featuringStevie Wonder on harmonica) and "Desert Rose" (a UK number 15 hit). The album went Triple Platinum by January 2001. In 2000, he won Grammy Awards forBrand 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.
In February 2001, he won another Grammy for "She Walks This Earth (Soberana Rosa)" onA Love Affair: The Music Of Ivan Lins. His "After the Rain Has Fallen" made it into the Top 40. His next project was a live album at his villa inFigline Valdarno, released as a CD and DVD as well as being broadcast on the internet. The CD and DVD were to be entitledOn Such a Night and intended to feature re-workings of Sting favourites such as "Roxanne" and "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free". The concert, scheduled for 11 September 2001, was altered due to theterrorist attacks in America that day. The webcast shut after one song (a reworked version of "Fragile"), after which Sting let the audience decide whether to continue the show. They decided to go ahead and the album and DVD appeared in November as...All This Time, dedicated "to all those who lost their lives on that day". He performed "Fragile" withYo-Yo Ma and theMormon Tabernacle Choir during the opening ceremonies of the2002 Winter Olympics inSalt Lake City, Utah, US.[55]
His autobiographyBroken Music was published in October. He embarked on aSacred Love tour in 2004 with performances byAnnie Lennox.[60] 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 on 14 May 2005. Sting was on the 2005Monkey Business CD by hip-hop groupthe Black Eyed Peas, singing on "Union", which samples hisEnglishman in New York. Continuing withLive Aid, he appeared atLive 8 atHyde Park, London in July 2005.[61]
2006–2010: Experimental albums and the Police reunion
In October 2006, he released an album entitledSongs from the Labyrinth featuring the music ofJohn Dowland (anElizabethan-era composer) and accompaniment from Bosnian lute playerEdin Karamazov. Sting's interpretation of thisEnglish Renaissance composer and his cooperation with Edin Karamazov brought recognition in classical music.[63] As promotion of this album, he appeared on the fifth episode ofStudio 60 to perform a segment of Dowland's "Come Again" as well as his own "Fields of Gold" in arrangement for voice and twoarchlutes.
On 11 February 2007, he reunited with the Police to open the2007 Grammy Awards, singing "Roxanne", and announceda reunion tour, the first concert of which was in Vancouver on 28 May 2007 for 22,000 fans. The Police toured for more than a year, beginning with North America and crossing to Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Tickets for the British tour sold out within 30 minutes, the band playing two nights at Twickenham Stadium, southwest London on 8 and 9 September 2007.[64]
"Brand New Day" was the final song of the night for theNeighborhood Ball, one of ten inaugural balls honouring PresidentBarack Obama on Inauguration Day, 20 January 2009. Sting was joined byStevie Wonder on harmonica.[65]
In October 2009, Sting played a concert inTashkent,Uzbekistan, for an arts and cultural festival organised bythe Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan Foundation. Despite claiming he thought the concert was sponsored byUNICEF, he faced criticism in the press for receiving a payment of between one and two million pounds from Uzbek presidentIslam Karimov for the performance. Karimov is accused by the UN and Amnesty of human rights abuses and UNICEF stated they had no connection with the event.[73]
Sting embarked on hisSymphonicity Tour in 2010 and released an accompanyingSymphonicities album the same year, which consisted of classical symphonic reinterpretations of his work.[74]
2010–2016:The Last Ship and joint tours with Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel
In 2010–2011, Sting continued his Symphonicity Tour, touring South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South America and Europe.[75] In the second half of 2011, Sting began hisBack to Bass Tour, which would continue (with periodic breaks) through 2013.[76] In October 2010, Sting played two concerts inArnhem, Netherlands, forSymphonica in Rosso. In 2011,Time magazine named Sting one of the 100 most influential people in the world.[77] On 26 April he performed "Every Breath You Take", "Roxanne" and "Desert Rose" at theTime 100 Gala in New York City.[78]
Sting recorded a song called "Power's Out" withNicole Scherzinger. The song, originally recorded in 2007, was to have been included on Scherzinger's shelved album,Her Name is Nicole. The song was released on Scherzinger's 2011 debut album,Killer Love. Sting recorded a new version of the song "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" as a duet withGlee actor/singerMatthew Morrison, which appears on Morrison's 2011eponymous debut album.[79] On 15 September 2011, Sting performed "Fragile" at the92nd Street Y in New York City, to honour the memory of his friend, financier-philanthropistHerman Sandler, who died in the9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.[80]
For several years, Sting worked on a musical,The Last Ship, inspired by Sting's own childhood experiences and the shipbuilding industry inWallsend.[81]The Last Ship tells a story about the demise of theBritish shipbuilding industry in 1980sNewcastle and debuted in Chicago in June 2014 before transferring toBroadway in the autumn.[82][83][84] Sting's eleventh studio album, titledThe Last Ship, and inspired by the play, was released on 24 September 2013.[85][86] The album features guest artists with roots in northeast England, includingBrian Johnson, vocalist fromAC/DC.[87]
Sting and Paul Simon on stage atthe O2 Arena in London, April 2015
In February 2014, Sting embarked on a joint concert tour titledOn Stage Together withPaul Simon, playing 21 concerts in North America.[88] The tour continued in early 2015, with ten shows in Australia and New Zealand,[89][90] and 23 concerts in Europe,[91] ending on 18 April 2015. On 26 June 2015 inBergen, Norway (at the Bergen Calling Festival), Sting embarked on a 21-dateSummer 2015 solo tour of Europe inTrondheim, Norway (at the Olavsfestdagene), visiting Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Sweden.[92]
On 28 August 2015, "Stolen Car", a duet with French singerMylène Farmer was released.[93] It is a cover from Sting's 2003 seventh solo studio album,Sacred Love, and will serve as the first single from Farmer's tenth studio album,Interstellaires.[94] On its release, the song went straight to number one over FrenchiTunes music download charts, subsequently hitting number one on the main French singles chart and giving Sting his first number one in France.[95] In 2016, Sting performed a 19-date joint concert summer tour of North America withPeter Gabriel.[96]
On 18 July 2016, Sting's first rock album in many years was announced.57th & 9th was released on 11 November 2016. The title is a reference to the New York City intersection he crossed every day to get to the studio where much of the album was recorded.[97][98] It has contributions by long-time band membersVinnie Colaiuta andDominic Miller, and Jerry Fuentes and Diego Navaira of the Last Bandoleros. The album was produced by Sting's manager, Martin Kierszenbaum. On 9 November 2016, Sting performed two shows atIrving Plaza, inManhattan, New York City, playing songs from57th & 9th for the first time live in concert: a "57th & 9th iHeartRadio Album Release Party" show and a Sting Fan Club Member Exclusive Show later that night.[99][100] Named the57th & 9th Tour, a world tour of theatres, clubs and arenas in support of57th & 9th (with special guestsJoe Sumner and the Last Bandoleros) began on 1 February 2017 inVancouver at theCommodore Ballroom and continued into October.[101][102]
Sting (left) performing withShaggy at the 2018Capitals playoff concert
On 4 November 2016, management of theBataclan theatre announced that Sting would perform an exclusive concert in Paris on 12 November 2016 for the re-opening of the Bataclan, a year after theterrorist attack at the venue.[103] The Police's former guitar player, French nativeHenry Padovani, joined the band on stage for "Next to You", one of the encores.[nb 1][104]
Sting was announced as the joint winner of the 2017Polar Music Prize, a Swedish international award given in recognition of excellence in the world of music. The award committee stated: "As a composer, Sting has combined classic pop with virtuoso musicianship and an openness to all genres and sounds from around the world."[7] In 2018, he scheduled a musical and story-telling performance at theMetropolitan Museum of Art honouringHudson River School artistThomas Cole.[105]
For the first time in 22 years, BMI has a new top song in our repertoire with Sting's timeless hit "Every Breath You Take", a remarkable achievement that solidifies its place in songwriting history.
—BMI President Mike O'Neill in May 2019 on "Every Breath You Take" becoming the most played song in US radio history.[106]
On 7 February 2018, Sting performed as special guest at the ItalianSanremo Music Festival, singing "Muoio per te", the Italian version of "Mad About You", the lyrics of which were written by his friend and colleagueZucchero Fornaciari and "Don't Make Me Wait" with Shaggy.44/876, Sting andShaggy's first studio album as a duo,[107] was released in April 2018. On 21 April 2018, Sting was among the artists to perform atThe Queen's Birthday Party held at theRoyal Albert Hall.[108] In 2019, he received aBMI Award when "Every Breath You Take", a hit single by The Police, became the most-played song in radio history.[109]
Sting's fourteenth album, titledMy Songs, was released on 24 May 2019. The album features 14 studio (and one live) re-recorded versions of his songs released throughout his solo career and his time with the Police.[110][111] In support of the album, a world tour named theMy Songs Tour started on 28 May 2019 atLa Seine Musicale in Paris and ended on 2 September 2019 at Kit Carson Park inTaos, New Mexico.[112] A 16-date residency from 22 May to 2 September 2020 atCaesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada was rescheduled due to COVID-19, with the first date taking place on 29 October 2021.[113][114] His six nights at theLondon Palladium were rescheduled to April 2022.[115]
On 14 April 2020, Sting recorded a duet cover of "Message in a Bottle" with the girl groupAll Saints.[116] The same year, he appeared on the song "Simple" available on theEPPausa byRicky Martin.[117] Also in 2020, Sting was listed as number 32 onRolling Stone's list of the top 50 greatest bassists of all time.[118]
Sting released his fifteenth studio album,The Bridge, on 19 November 2021. It was preceded by the release of the lead single "If It's Love" on 1 September 2021. Sting wrote the set of pop-rock songs "in a year of global pandemic, personal loss, separation, disruption, lockdown and extraordinary social and political turmoil".[120][121] On 20 November 2021, Sting's single "What Could Have Been", withRay Chen, was featured in the third act of theLeague of Legends animated seriesArcane; this single was released the same day.[122][123] Sting then openedThe Game Awards 2021 with the song;[124] Todd Marten, for theLos Angeles Times, wrote "The Game Awards began this year with an opening that might have launched the Grammy Awards".[125]
In February 2022, Sting collaborated with Swedish DJ supergroup Swedish House Mafia, releasing a song and music video titled "Redlight". The song used lyrics from the Police's 1979 hit "Roxanne" with a dark electronic feeling. Sting made an appearance in the music video, the song being part of the new album from Swedish House Mafia titledParadise Again.[126] In February 2022, it was announced thatUniversal Music Group purchased Sting's catalogue of solo works and those with the Police for an undisclosed amount.[127]Forbes ranked him as thehighest-paid solo musician of 2022, with an estimated earnings of $210 million.[128]
The Wall Street Journal reported that Sting gave a private performance on 17 January 2023 for fifty top Microsoft executives at the 2023 World Economic Forum at Davos. The next day Microsoft announced plans to lay off 10,000 people in what some employees called "as a bad look" for the company. "Some employees thought it wasn't the right time for a company-sponsored Sting concert," wrote Tom Dotan and Sam Schechner. "The theme of the event was sustainability."[129] The event quickly went viral.[130]
In September 2025, Sting's former bandmates Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers filed a lawsuit against Sting with the London High Court, alleging that Sting had underpaid them for royalties earned from "digital exploitation" of the Police's recordings. Sting has denied the allegations and contended that he actually overpaid the former bandmates.[131]
Sting's involvement in human rights began in September 1981, when Martin Lewis included him in the fourthAmnesty International gala,The Secret Policeman's Other Ball, a benefit show co-founded byMonty Python memberJohn Cleese.[135] Sting states, "before [the Ball] I did not know about Amnesty, I did not know about its work, I did not know about torture in the world."[136] Following the example set at the 1979 show byPete Townshend, Sting performed "Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle" appearing on all four nights atTheatre Royal in London. He also led other musicians (The Secret Police) includingEric Clapton,Jeff Beck,Phil Collins,Donovan,Bob Geldof andMidge Ure in the finale – Sting'sreggae-tinged arrangement ofBob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released". The event was the first time that Sting worked with Geldof. His association with Amnesty continued throughout the 1980s and beyond and he took part in Amnesty'shuman rights concerts.[137]
Sting had shown his interest in social and political issues in his 1980 song "Driven to Tears", an indictment of apathy to world hunger. In November 1984, he joinedBand Aid, a charity supergroup primarily made up of the biggest British and Irish musicians of the era, and sang on "Do They Know It's Christmas?" which was recorded atSarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London.[138] This led to theLive Aid concert in July 1985 atWembley Stadium, in which Sting performed with Phil Collins andDire Straits.[42] On 2 July 2005, Sting performed at theLive 8 concert atHyde Park, London, the follow-up to 1985's Live Aid.[61] In 1984, Sting sang a re-worded version of "Every Breath You Take", titled "Every Bomb You Make" for episode 12 of the first series of the British satirical puppet showSpitting Image. The video for the song shows the puppets of world leaders and political figures of the day, usually with the figure matching the altered lyrics.[139]
In 2011, Sting joined more than 30 others in an open letter to British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron for "immediate decriminalisation of drug possession" if a policy review showed it had failed. Sting was quoted: "Giving young people criminal records for minor drug possession serves little purpose — it is time to think of more imaginative ways of addressing drug use in our society."[154]
On 4 July 2011, Sting cancelled a concert for the Astana Day Festival inAstana, Kazakhstan. Amnesty International convinced him to cancel due to concerns over the rights of Kazakh oil and gas workers and their families. On 2 November 2012, Sting appeared onHurricane Sandy: Coming Together and sang a version of "Message in a Bottle" to raise funds for those affected by a storm on the east coast of the US that week. The show reportedly raised $23 million.[155] Sting also participated as a co-host and musician during the day-long2015 Norwegian TV campaign, dedicated to the preservation of the rainforest.[156]
In August 2014, Sting was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter toThe Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to reject Scottish independence from the UK inSeptember's referendum on the issue.[157]
Sting publicly supported the United Kingdom remaining in theEuropean Union. On 23 June 2016, in areferendum, the British publicvoted to leave. In October 2018, Sting was among a group of British musicians who signed an open letter sent to then Prime MinisterTheresa May, drafted byBob Geldof, calling for"a 2nd vote", stating that Brexit will "impact every aspect of the music industry. From touring to sales, to copyright legislation to royalty collation", the letter added: "We dominate the market and our bands, singers, musicians, writers, producers and engineers work all over Europe and the world and, in turn, Europe and the world come to us. Why? Because we are brilliant at it ... [Our music] reaches out, all inclusive, and embraces anyone and everyone. And that truly is what Britain is."[158]
In January 2018, it was reported that Sting had joined the board of advisors of an impact investing fund ofJANA Partners LLC named JANA Impact Capital, aimed at serving environmental and social causes.[159] On 6 January 2018, JANA Partners, together with theCalifornia State Teachers' Retirement System issued a public letter imploringApple Inc. to take a more responsible approach towards smartphone addiction among children. The letter cited several pieces of evidence that show that smartphone use by children increases the risk of their having mental health problems and worsens academic performance.[160]
Sting married actressFrances Tomelty on 1 May 1976. They had two children:Joseph (b. 23 November 1976), and Fuschia Katherine "Kate" (b. 17 April 1982) Sumner. In 1980, Sting became atax exile[161][162][163] inGalway, Ireland. In 1982, after the birth of his second child, he separated from Tomelty.[164] Tomelty and Sting divorced in 1984[165] after Sting's affair with actressTrudie Styler.[166] The split was controversial; asThe Independent reported in 2006, Tomelty "just happened to be Trudie's best friend (Sting and Tomelty lived next door to Styler in Bayswater, west London, for several years before the two of them became lovers)".[167] In a 2025 interview, Sting revealed that Styler was his inspiration for the song "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" that he wrote in 1977.[168]
Sting married Styler at Camden Registry Office on 20 August 1992, and the couple had their wedding blessed two days later in the twelfth-century parish church of St Andrew inGreat Durnford, Wiltshire, south-west England.[164] Sting and Styler have four children, three of whom were born before their marriage:Brigitte Michael "Mickey" (b. 19 January 1984), Jake (b. 24 May 1985),Eliot Paulina "Coco" (b. 30 July 1990), and Giacomo Luke (b. 17 December 1995) Sumner. Coco is founder and lead singer of the groupI Blame Coco. Giacomo Luke is the inspiration behind the name ofKentucky Derby-winning horseGiacomo.[169]
In April 2009, theSunday Times Rich List estimated Sting's wealth at £175million and ranked him the 322nd wealthiest person in Britain.[170] A decade later, Sting was estimated to have a fortune of £320million in the 2019Sunday Times Rich List, making him one of the ten wealthiest people in the British music industry.[171]
Both of Sting's parents died of cancer: his mother in 1986 and his father in 1987. He did not attend either funeral, in order not to draw media attention to them.[172]
In 1995, Sting gave evidence in court against his former accountant (Keith Moore), who had misappropriated £6 million of his money. Moore was jailed for six years.[173] Sting owns several homes worldwide, includingLake House and its sixty-acre estate nearSalisbury, Wiltshire; a penthouse at220 Central Park South in New York City; and theVilla Il Palagio estate inFigline Valdarno, Tuscany.[174] He owned a house inHighgate, 2The Grove for a number of years, which had previously been the home of violinistYehudi Menuhin.[175]
For much of his life, Sting's spare time interests and activities have revolved around mental and physical fitness. For many years, he ran five miles (8 km) a day and also performed aerobics. He participated in running races atParliament Hill and charity runs (including the Race Against Time forSport Aid in both 1986 and 1988). Around 1990, Danny Paradise introduced him to yoga and he began practising theAshtanga Vinyasa Yoga series, though he now practisesTantra andJivamukti Yoga as well.[176] He wrote a foreword toYoga Beyond Belief,[177] written by Ganga White in 2007. In 2008, he was reported to practiseMaharishi Mahesh Yogi'sTranscendental Meditation technique.[178] He also practisespilates regularly.[179]
Garry Kasparov and Sting in Times Square, New York, 2000
Also a keenchess player, Sting played chess grandmasterGarry Kasparov in an exhibition game in 2000, along with four bandmates: Dominic Miller, Jason Rebello,Chris Botti and Russ Irwin. Kasparov beat all five simultaneously within fifty minutes.[180]
In 1969, Sting read theGormenghast trilogy byMervyn Peake and later bought the film rights. He named pets, a racehorse, his publishing company and one of his daughters (Fuschia, in the books actually Fuchsia) after characters from the books.[181]
Sting supports his hometownPremier League football clubNewcastle United and in 2009 backed a supporters' campaign against the plan of ownerMike Ashley to sell off naming rights of the club's home stadiumSt James' Park.[182] He wrote a song in support of Newcastle, called "Black and White Army (Bringing the Pride Back Home)".[183]
In a 2011 interview inTime, Sting said that he was agnostic and that the certainties of religious faith were dangerous.[23]
In August 2014, Sting donated money to the Friends of Tynemouth Outdoor Pool to regenerate the 1920slido at the southern end of Longsands Beach inTynemouth, northeast England, a few miles from where he was born.[184]
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980) – Leader of the Blow Waves. The footage was cut but it later reappeared in the DVD version and in the documentaryThe Filth and the Fury (2000).
Artemis 81 (1981) – The angel Helith (BBC TV film)
^About the 2016 Bataclan re-opening show, Sting stated: "In re-opening the Bataclan, we have two important tasks to reconcile. First, to remember and honour those who lost their lives in the attack a year ago, and second to celebrate the life and the music that this historic theatre represents. In doing so we hope to respect the memory as well as the life affirming spirit of those who fell. We shall not forget them."[104]
^"Sting: How I started writing songs again – TED Talk Subtitles and Transcript".TED Talk. 30 May 2014. Retrieved20 November 2016.12:58.. big, black Rolls-Royce. Inside the Rolls-Royce is the Queen Mother. This is a big deal. So the procession is moving at a stately pace down my street, and as it approaches my house, I start to wave my flag vigorously, and there is the Queen Mother. I see her, and she seems to see me. She acknowledges me. She waves, and she smiles. And I wave my flag even more vigorously. We're having a moment, me and the Queen Mother. She's acknowledged me. And then she's gone. 13:50 Well, I wasn't cured of anything. It was the opposite, actually. I was infected. I was infected with an idea. I don't belong in this street. I don't want to live in that house. I don't want to end up in that shipyard. I want to be in that car. (Laughter) I want a bigger life. I want a life beyond this town. I want a life that's out of the ordinary. It's my right. It's my right as much as hers.
^Egan, Sean (8 August 2003). "The Police: Every Little Thing They Sang Was Magic".Goldmine.29 (16): 14.
^"Sting: A Renaissance man".CBS Sunday Morning. 22 September 2016. Archived fromthe original on 27 October 2021 – via YouTube.I used to wear these yellow and black sweaters. They thought I looked like a wasp, and they'd joke. They called me 'Sting'. They thought it was hilarious. They kept calling me St... That became my name.
^Analysis of this song, the H. Eisler-adaptionThe Secret Marriage and the J.S. Bach-quote inWhenever I Say Your Name in:Michael Custodis, chapter "Sting als Songwriter zwischen Prokofiev, Eisler, Bach und Dowland", in: Klassische Musik heute. Eine Spurensuche in der Rockmusik, Bielefeld transcript-Verlag 2009ISBN978-3-8376-1249-3
^"Grammy Awards – Sting". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 12 November 2014
^Analysis of the piece in: Michael Custodis, chapterSting als Songwriter zwischen Prokofiev, Eisler, Bach und Dowland, in: Klassische Musik heute. Eine Spurensuche in der Rockmusik, Bielefeld transcript-Verlag 2009ISBN978-3-8376-1249-3
^Culture (7 October 2011)."Annie Lennox: career timeline".The Daily Telegraph. London, UK.Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved26 March 2012.
^Turner, Terence (1993). "The Role of Indigenous Peoples in the Environmental Crisis: The Example of the Kayapo of the Brazilian Amazon".Perspectives in Biology and Medicine.36 (3):526–545.doi:10.1353/pbm.1993.0027.ISSN0031-5982.S2CID71983607.
Cannell, Paul (2012).Fuckin' Hell It's Paul Cannell. Poodle Publishing.ISBN9781475020793.
Carr, Paul (2017).Sting: From Northern Skies to Fields of Gold. Reaktion Books.ISBN978-1-78023-813-5.
Clarkson, Wensley (1999) [1996].Sting: The Secret Life of Gordon Sumner. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press.ISBN1-56025-226-X.
Gable, Christopher (2009).The Words and Music of Sting. Praeger.ISBN978-0-275-99360-3.
Marienberg, Evyatar (2021).Sting and Religion: The Catholic-Shaped Imagination of a Rock Icon. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books / Wipf & Stock.ISBN978-1-7252-7226-2.
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