Sting was born in Wallsend, North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. In 1977 Gordon moved from Newcastle to London and met Stewart Copeland and Henry Padovani to form a new wave band called The Police. They enjoyed success from the late 70's to early 80's, releasing five albums, four of which topped the charts in the UK and one that topped the charts in the US also. They enjoyed huge success with their punk inspired sounds which developed into a minimalist reggae tinged rock/pop and had a plethora of hit singles including 'Message In A Bottle' 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' 'Every Breath You Take' and 'Walking On The Moon'.
The band unofficially parted after their final release 'Synchronicity' to focus on their solo careers. Sting's first solo gig was at Amnesty International's The Secret Policeman's Other Ball where he performed solo versions of tracks such as 'Roxanne' and 'Message In A Bottle'. In 1985, Sting finally released his debut record which featured a heavier lean towards jazz including the musicians Kenny Kirkland, Darryl Jones, Omar Hakim and Branford Marsalis. Once again, he enjoyed a number of hit singles from the record and within a year it had been awarded triple platinum. To add to the accolades Sting also received four Grammy nominations for 'The Dream Of Blue Turtles'.
Sting was part of the iconic Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' charity single which raised money for famine victims in Ethiopia and took part in the live aid concert the following year, playing a selection of The Police hits. His next album '...Nothing Like The Sun' mirrored the successes of his first, more hit singles, more Grammy Nominations and this time a Brit Award for Best Album. The following four releases all reached the top five of the UK charts and have now been certified as platinum selling. In 2007 he reunited with his Police bandmates as the introductory act for the 2007 Grammy Awards, singing 'Roxanne' and subsequently announced a huge worldwide tour which sold out almost instantly.
Sting has had multiple successes both with his band and as a solo artist. He has accumulated a total of sixteen Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards and several Oscar nominations for Best Original Song. He is known for his musical abilities but also his activism, becoming patrons for several charities including Elton John's AIDS foundation. He has sold over 100 million records to date.
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, otherwise known as Sting has been a staple name in music since The Police hit the big time in the late 70s. Now touring his own popular solo work along with a handful of The Police's hit singles, audiences continue to flock to see the iconic singer perform.
Often accompanied by an orchestra, a staple sound for his solo work. The arrangement adds a sense of grandeur and luxury to the affair and as Sumner stands centre you can see he still has a great deal of passion for performing. It is also clear that he enjoys delighting his audiences with Police classics such as 'Driven To Tears' and 'Wrapped Around Your Finger' as he plays them with such jovial enthusiasm as the audience proudly sing back these timeless tracks.
His own brand of new wave tracks are considered equally classic as the poignant 'Fields Of Gold' sounds wonderful as Sting sings in a vocal that appears not to have aged. The encore of 'Every Breath You Take' perhaps gets the biggest cheer of the night as this tender mega-hit is sung note perfect by both performer and audience. As he takes a final bow and thanks his magnificent backing band, the audience appear thankful Sting isn't a star who shun the limelight in older age.
sean-ward
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