Sting, born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, is a celebrated British musician known for his work as a singer, songwriter, and actor.
He was the frontman and primary songwriter for the iconic rock band The Police, which dominated the charts in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Sting's activism began in 1981 when he participated in an Amnesty International benefit concert, highlighting his commitment to human rights.
Biography
Early Life
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, known to the world as Sting, was born on October 2, 1951, in Wallsend, Northumberland, England. He was the eldest of four children in a working-class family, with his mother, Audrey, a hairdresser, and his father, Ernest, a milkman. Growing up near the shipyards of Wallsend, Sting was inspired to seek a more glamorous life after a childhood encounter with the Queen Mother. His passion for music ignited at a young age when he became obsessed with an old Spanish guitar left by a family friend. After attending St Cuthbert's Grammar School, he briefly enrolled at the University of Warwick before pursuing various jobs, including teaching, while performing jazz music in his spare time.
Career
Sting's musical journey took a significant turn in January 1977 when he co-founded the rock band The Police with Stewart Copeland and Henry Padovani, later joined by Andy Summers. The band quickly rose to fame, producing five UK chart-topping albums and winning six Grammy Awards. Their sound evolved from punk to reggae rock, with hits like "Every Breath You Take" showcasing Sting's songwriting prowess. After the band's hiatus in 1984, Sting launched a successful solo career, blending genres such as rock, jazz, and reggae. His discography includes acclaimed albums like "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" and "Ten Summoner’s Tales."
Activism and Legacy
Beyond music, Sting is known for his humanitarian efforts, particularly with Amnesty International, which he joined in 1981. His commitment to social issues is reflected in his music, with songs addressing world hunger and human rights. Sting's influence extends beyond his artistic contributions; he has received numerous accolades, including a Commander of the Order of the British Empire and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His diverse musical style and dedication to activism have solidified his legacy as one of the most versatile and socially conscious artists of his generation.
Collected from open sources (4) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Discography
All We Get Is Life2024
- 1.Song Books: Solo for Voice 49 - The Year Begins to Be Ripe1:12
- 2.The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres: 4. Die Not Before Thy Day1:51
- 3.The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres: 5. Mourn, Mourn, Day Is With Darkness Fled1:50
- 4.The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres: 3. Sorrow, Sorrow, Stay, Lend True Repentant Tears3:04
- 5.Five for 5 Voices or Instruments5:00
- 6.Song Books: Solo for Voice 91 No. 246:07
- 7.A Musicall Banquet: 9. Lady If You So Spight Me2:22
- 8.Eight Whiskus for Solo Voice5:38
- 9.Dream5:58
- 10.The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres: 1. I Saw My Lady Weepe4:58
- 11.The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres: 2. Flow My Tears3:53
- 12.A Dream P. 753:46
- 13.She Is Asleep: 2. Duo8:01
- 14.A Room2:26
- 15.The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres: 6. Time's Eldest Son I: Time's Eldest Son, Old Age, the Heir of Ease1:15
- 16.The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres: 7. Time's Eldest Son II: Then Sit Thee Down and Say Thy 'Nunc Dimittis'1:04
- 17.The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres: 8. Time's Eldest Son III: When Others Sing 'Venite Exultemus'1:20
- 18.Shape of My Heart4:18
The Bridge2021
- 1.Rushing Water
- 2.If It’s Love
- 3.The Book Of Numbers
- 4.Loving You
- 5.Harmony Road
- 6.For Her Love
- 7.The Hills On The Border
- 8.Captain Bateman
- 9.The Bells Of St. Thomas
- 10.The Bridge
44/8762018
- 1.44/8763:00
- 2.Morning Is Coming3:11
- 3.Waiting for the Break of Day3:19
- 4.Gotta Get Back My Baby2:57
- 5.Don’t Make Me Wait3:35
- 6.Just One Lifetime3:31
- 7.22nd Street4:00
- 8.Dreaming in the U.S.A.3:08
- 9.Crooked Tree3:37
- 10.To Love and Be Loved3:29
- 11.Sad Trombone5:44
- 12.Night Shift3:26
- 13.If You Can’t Find Love3:34
- 14.Love Changes Everything3:55
- 15.16 Fathoms3:19
- 16.Don’t Make Me Wait (Dave Audé Rhythmic Radio remix)3:47
57th & 9th2016
- 1.I Can’t Stop Thinking About You3:31
- 2.50,0004:17
- 3.Down, Down, Down3:48
- 4.One Fine Day3:14
- 5.Pretty Young Soldier3:06
- 6.Petrol Head3:32
- 7.Heading South on the Great North Road3:18
- 8.If You Can’t Love Me4:34
- 9.Inshallah4:56
- 10.The Empty Chair2:50
- 11.I Can’t Stop Thinking About You (LA version)3:38
- 12.Inshallah (Berlin Sessions version)4:58
- 13.Next to You (live at Rockwood Music Hall)2:54
The Last Ship2013
- 1.The Last Ship3:50
- 2.Dead Man's Boots3:29
- 3.And Yet3:52
- 4.August Winds3:17
- 5.Language of Birds3:29
- 6.Practical Arrangement3:19
- 7.The Night the Pugilist Learned How to Dance4:12
- 8.Ballad of the Great Eastern5:14
- 9.What Have We Got?3:34
- 10.I Love Her but She Loves Someone Else3:41
- 11.So to Speak4:06
- 12.The Last Ship (reprise)3:19
- 13.Shipyard6:00
- 14.It's Not the Same Moon2:54
- 15.Hadaway3:18
- 16.Sky Hooks and Tartan Paint3:33
- 17.Show Some Respect4:47
Symphonicities2010
- 1.Next to You2:30
- 2.Englishman in New York4:23
- 3.Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic4:58
- 4.I Hung My Head5:32
- 5.You Will Be My Ain True Love3:44
- 6.Roxanne3:38
- 7.When We Dance5:27
- 8.The End of the Game6:09
- 9.I Burn for You4:05
- 10.We Work the Black Seam7:19
- 11.She’s Too Good for Me3:03
- 12.The Pirate’s Bride5:03
If on a Winter’s Night…2009
- 1.Gabriel’s Message2:33
- 2.Soul Cake3:27
- 3.There Is No Rose of Such Virtue4:03
- 4.The Snow It Melts the Soonest3:43
- 5.Christmas at Sea4:37
- 6.Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming2:41
- 7.Cold Song3:16
- 8.The Burning Babe2:42
- 9.Now Winter Comes Slowly3:05
- 10.The Hounds of Winter5:49
- 11.Balulalow3:10
- 12.Cherry Tree Carol3:11
- 13.Lullaby for an Anxious Child2:50
- 14.The Hurdy‐Gurdy Man2:49
- 15.You Only Cross My Mind in Winter2:35
Songs From the Labyrinth2006
- 1.Walsingham0:38
- 2.Can She Excuse My Wrongs?2:36
- 3.“Ryght Honorable: As I Have Bin Most Bounde Unto Your Honor…”0:41
- 4.Flow My Tears (Lachrimae)4:42
- 5.Have You Seen the Bright Lily Grow2:36
- 6.“…Then in Time Passing on Mr. Johnson Died…”0:32
- 7.The Most High and Mighty Christianus the Fourth, King of Denmark, His Galliard3:01
- 8.The Lowest Trees Have Tops2:16
- 9.“…And Accordinge as I Desired Ther Cam a Letter…”0:56
- 10.Fine Knacks for Ladies1:51
- 11.“…From Thence I Went to the Landgrave of Hessen…”0:25
- 12.Fantasy2:43
- 13.Come, Heavy Sleep3:46
- 14.Forlorn Hope Fancy3:08
- 15.“…And From Thence I Had Great Desire to See Italy…”0:29
- 16.Come Again2:56
- 17.Wilt Thou Unkind Thus Reave Me2:40
- 18.“…After My Departure I Caled to Mynde Our Conference…”0:30
- 19.Weep You No More, Sad Fountains2:39
- 20.My Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home1:35
- 21.Clear or Cloudy2:48
- 22.“…Men Say That the Kinge of Spain Is Making Gret Preparation…”1:01
- 23.In Darkness Let Me Dwell4:10
My Funny Valentine: At the Movies2005
- 1.My Funny Valentine4:55
- 2.Englishman in New York4:29
- 3.Shape of My Heart4:38
- 4.The Windmills of Your Mind4:18
- 5.My Funny Friend and Me4:40
- 6.The Mighty (remix version)3:35
- 7.Until3:11
- 8.All for Love4:43
- 9.The Secret Marriage2:05
- 10.Someone to Watch Over Me4:36
- 11.It's Probably Me5:03
- 12.Angel Eyes4:04
- 13.Moonlight5:24
- 14.My One and Only Love3:38
- 15.Fragile3:56
- 16.Murder by Numbers4:37
- 17.Valparaiso5:26
- 18.Demolition Man5:28
Sacred Love2003
- 1.Inside4:48
- 2.Send Your Love4:38
- 3.Whenever I Say Your Name5:28
- 4.Dead Man’s Rope5:44
- 5.Never Coming Home5:00
- 6.Stolen Car3:58
- 7.Forget About the Future5:13
- 8.This War5:31
- 9.The Book of My Life6:16
- 10.Sacred Love6:03
- 11.Send Your Love (Dave Audé remix)3:18
- 12.Shape of My Heart (live)2:21
- 13.Like a Beautiful Smile4:45
Songs of Love (Victoria’s Secret exclusive)2003
- 1.Sacred Love5:45
- 2.When We Dance5:58
- 3.Mad About You3:55
- 4.They Dance Alone (Cueca solo)7:12
- 5.You Still Touch Me3:47
- 6.Fortress Around Your Heart4:39
- 7.Ghost Story5:28
- 8.I Burn for You5:18
Still Be Love in the World2001
Tracklist not collected yet.
Andrea Griminelli’s Cinema Italiano: A New Interpretation of Italian Film Music2001
- 1.My Heart and I (La Piovra)4:29
- 2.Ai giochi addio (Romeo and Juliet)3:48
- 3.You'll Come to Me (Amarcord)3:09
- 4.The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (title theme)2:57
- 5.Mediterraneo (main theme)4:06
- 6.Fratello sole, sorella luna (title theme)4:50
- 7.Cinema Paradiso (original theme)3:29
- 8.La vita è bella (theme)2:57
- 9.Gabriel's Oboe (The Mission)2:34
- 10.Malafemmina (Totò, Peppino e... La Malafemmina)5:07
- 11.When Loves Comes By (Il Postino)3:50
- 12.Parla più piano (The Godfather)3:26
- 13.Concerto For Orchestra (Anonimo veneziano)4:47
- 14.Fellini Classics Orchestral Suite (La strada / Amarcord / Prova d'orchestra)6:16
Brand New Day1999
Tracklist not collected yet.
Greatest Hits1999
Tracklist not collected yet.
At the Movies1997
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Very Best of… Sting & The Police1997
Tracklist not collected yet.
Mercury Falling1996
Tracklist not collected yet.
Summoner's Travels Collector's Edition1994
Tracklist not collected yet.
Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984–19941994
Tracklist not collected yet.
Ten Summoner’s Tales1993
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Soul Cages1991
Tracklist not collected yet.
Compact Hits1988
Tracklist not collected yet.
…Nothing Like the Sun1987
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Dream of the Blue Turtles1985
Tracklist not collected yet.
Gallery
Label
- Record label
- A&M Records
- Record label
- Deutsche Grammophon
- Record label
- Universal Music Group
Achievements
- Award
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- Award
- Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
- Award
- MusiCares Person of the Year
- Award
- David Angell Humanitarian Award
- Award
- Polar Music Prize
- Award
- Kennedy Center Honors
- Award
- Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
- Award
- German Radio Award
- Award
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Award
- MOJO Awards
- Award
- Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
- Award
- Grammy Award for Song of the Year
Groups
- Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroescurrent
- The Conspiratorscurrent
- Last Exitbass, lead vocals, original · 1974–1977
- Strontium 90bass guitar, lead vocals, original · 1977–1977
- The Policebass guitar, lead vocals, original · 1977–1986
- Fast Breeder & the Radio Actorslead vocals, original · 1978–1978
- The Policebass guitar, original · 2003–2003
- The Policebass guitar, original · 2007–2008
- Cast "The Last Ship"task · 2026–2026
- Newcastle Big Band
- The Secret Policeoriginal
Similar artists
Archive
Passport
guitar, mandolin, double bass, bass guitar, keyboard instrument, voice, harmonica, bass, acoustic guitar
Identifiers & aliases
Also known as: G.M. Sumner, Gordon Matthew Summer, Gordon Matthew Sumner, Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, Gordon Sumner, スティング
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, known as Sting, is an English musician, songwriter and actor. He was the frontman, principal songwriter and bassist for the rock band the Police from 1977 to 1984 and briefly during 1986 and 2007–2008. He launched a solo career in 1985 and has included elements of rock, jazz, reggae, classical, new-age, and worldbeat in his music.
All links
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
…