Capital: € 350 million
Age: 68
Born: 10/02/1951
Country of origin: England
Source of wealth: Singer
Last updated: 2024

Short introduction

Sting is best known for his singing career, but is also a respected songwriter and actor. He became famous in the 1980s as the frontman of the British band “The Police” and later as a solo artist. Sting is considered one of the smartest and most talented musicians in the world. In addition to music, he is also actively involved in the human rights movement, environmental protection and other social issues.

Early life

Sting was born as Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner on October 2, 1951 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He is the oldest of four sons by Audrey and Ernest Matthew Sumner. His mother was a hairdresser and his father an engineer who later opened a milk shop. As a boy, Gordon helped his father pull out the milk, but secretly dreamed of becoming a musician. Instead of working, he preferred to pluck an old Spanish guitar at home left by an uncle who had emigrated to Canada. One day when he saw Queen Elizabeth II driving through the city, he knew that he wanted to become famous. But first, Sting graduated from Northumbria University and worked as a teacher at Cramlington, England’s St. Paul’s School. He taught there for two years before becoming a full-time musician. In the evening he played in local jazz groups. He got the nickname “Sting” from a band leader because he always appeared in black and yellow striped rugby shirts that looked like a hornet.

Career

While teaching, Sting experimented with various local bands, but the first success came when he decided in 1974 to start his own group with his friend Gerry Richardson. It was named “Last Exit” after the cult book “Last Exit from Brooklyn” by Hubert Selby. With the advent of punk rock in 1976, the jazz fusion theme “Last Exit” was doomed to failure. It wasn’t until the late 1970s that Sting made his big breakthrough. In January 1977 he quit his teaching job and left Newcastle. He moved to London with his then wife, actress Frances Tomelty and their young son Joe and got to know the drummer Stewart Copeland. Together with Henri Padovani, they founded “The Police”. Henri was replaced by guitarist Andy Summers. In 1979 “The Police” produced the album “Reggatta de Blanc”, which brought the group’s first Grammy in 1980. Sting wrote the two biggest singles on the album “Message in a Bottle” and “Walking on the moon”. He toured with “The Police” from 1979-1983 and still managed to make his film debut in 1982 in the film “Brimstone & Tackle”. He contributed to the film music and wrote the song “Spread a Little Happiness”, which became his first solo hit. In 1983 “The Police” released their last album with “Synchronicity”. The single “Every Breath You Take” became the group’s most successful song and climbed to the top of the American and British charts.

“The Police” disbanded in 1983 and Sting began his career as a solo artist. In 1985 he made his debut with many well-known jazz musicians with his album “The Dream of the Blue Turtles”. This album was very well received by critics and fans alike and was a testament to Sting’s excellent songwriting and ability as a musician. He had greater success with his later albums such as “Nothing Like the Sun” from 1987, “The Soul Cages” from 1991, “Ten Summoner’s Tales” from 1993 and “Mercury Falling” from 1996. In 1999 he released his most popular solo album to date ” Brand New Day ”, which earned him a Grammy in 2000 for the best male pop vocal performance. In 2007, Sting met again with the other members of “The Police” to appear on the television broadcast of the Grammy Awards. The band then went on a worldwide concert tour. In 2013 Sting released the album “The Last Ship”, which was performed in 2014 as a Broadway musical. Sting is still active today, his last album “My Songs” was released in 2019 and contains newly designed versions of the greatest hits of the 17-time Grammy award winner.

Career highlights

Sting wrote and composed a lot of popular songs, but his most successful song was “Every Breath You Take” from 1983’s “The Police” album “Synchronicity”. It was the biggest US and UK hit of 1983 and topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for 8 weeks and topped the UK single charts for 4 weeks. He was nominated for three Grammy categories and won two of them. “Brand New Day” from 1999 was Sting’s sixth solo album and the most successful of them all. It sold 3.5 million copies in the United States and was celebrated by critics and fans alike. It won the Grammy Award for best pop singing album and Sting won a Grammy Award for best male pop singing performance. His musical career spans more than 30 years and on his way he has received 17 Grammy awards, sold more than 100 million records and written some of the most memorable songs of our time.

Famous quotes

One of the rewards of success is freedom, the ability to do whatever you want.

If you accept death, you have more interest in life, in happy life, as it should be lived. A life for the moment.

Success always requires a certain amount of ruthlessness. In choosing between friendship or success, I would probably choose success.

Success tips

Sting’s secret of success is based on three pillars:

drive
The drive is the impetus we have to want to be successful, to get up again when we fail and to dedicate ourselves to the hard work that is necessary for success.

Passion
Most important to Sting is the courage he had to follow his passion for music when so many, including his father, told him he was insane. The power of personal stories is crucial for the development of young people. They are a source of inspiration, great learning and motivation.

trust
According to Sting, probably the most important secret of success is self-confidence. Many studies show that personal trust is a crucial component of success. It is not something that someone else can give you, it is earned through a series of personal gains and overcoming challenges.

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