Gordon Matthew Sumner (Sting)

Before becoming an iconic global celebrity with the reputation of being one of the most literate songwriters and talented musicians in the world, Gordon Sumner was a ditch digger, English teacher and soccer coach.

After his humble beginnings, he formed UK punk band trio, The Police and developed a successful punk/rock/raggae sound which thrust the group to stardom. While front man, writer, bassist and singer for The Police, Gordon received his nickname, “Sting”, because of his hornet-like resemblance his signature striped rugby shirts created.

Sting left The Police after a decade and ventured out on his own solo career where he was pegged as a pop artist but was continually pushing boundaries and exploring a variety of musical genres. During his solo career, Sting’s writing matured and he found great success all over the world. He has received honorary doctorates in music from Northumbria and Berklee. Sting has worked with an impressive variety of musicians, writers, singers, filmmakers, actors and artists of all sorts.

I’ve always been a big fan of Sting’s music, both from The Police and his solo career. I admit, he’s had a few cheesy ballads along the way, but overall, his albums have been solid and at times, incredibly inspiring.

A few of my favorite seasons of Sting come from some of the videos I own:

Bring On The Night (1985)
Documentary film covering the preparation and rehearsals for Sting’s first solo concert, as well as his supporting band’s opinions on their leader and his controversial efforts.

The Soul Cages (1991)
Full concert video featuring Sting, Dominic Miller, David Sancious and Vinnie Colaiuta totally rocking out tunes from The Soul Cages and other Sting songs… even a cover of Purple Haze! [I'm well-aware that the audio for the clip below is out of sync. Sorry, best there was of this awesome version of Jeremiah Blues on YouTube.]

Ten Summoner’s Tales (1993)
Filmed during the recording of TST in Sing’s English castle, this intimate video shows the development of the album and musical prowess of the band.

Sting… All This Time (2001)
Great behind-the-scenes footage leading up to an intimate concert in Italy make up this great video, chronicling a bunch of Sting’s work (with a couple re-worked tunes). Also featuring a great addition to the band: bassist, Christian McBride.

Inside – The Songs of Sacred Love (2003)
This concert film was shot at Sting’s home in Malibu and at the Myan Theatre in Los Angeles. It’s very personal with various acoustic instruments (no traditional drum kit) and features some really fun jam sessions, interviews and great vocal moments.

After listening to his last three albums, I would love to hear Sting return to the unique sound of his work from The Soul Cages and Ten Summoner’s Tales. Even though the last few albums haven’t necessarily been my favorites, I still respect him for trying new things and expressing himself, artistically.

Sting is always relevant, always interesting. His talent seems limitless. I’ve found him to be in a special league with very few peers.

Did You Know?

• His favorite music is actually jazz.
• Album: Nothing Like the Sun,  is dedicated to his mother, Audrey.
• Sting takes in an average of $2,000 per day, in royalties for Every Breath You Take. The song is officially the most requested radio song of all time.
• Speaks fluent Portuguese.
• Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.
• Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, founded the Rainforest Foundation in 1988.
• The 2009 Sunday Times List estimated his net worth at $295 million.

Sting’ers

“The geniuses of music, like Bach (Johann Sebastian Bach) and Miles Davis, used silence beautifully; they were not about using as many notes as possible. They knew that playing almost nothing can be the most elegant and eloquent thing to do.”

“I’m so glad I have this way of expressing, in a veiled and artistic way, my most intimate feelings. A lot of people have the same feelings, but in others it must get bottled up. I’m proud of my being able to make it into artifacts that some people find beautiful or engaging.”

“You can scratch the surface of my songs pretty lightly and you’ll find someone who wanted to be James Taylor at the age of 14. He’s also a brilliant and ridiculously underrated guitar player and blessed with a voice that could melt ice caps.”

“Everybody in the business knows in his heart of hearts what it takes to be successful. Whether you’ve got the guts to go through with that or not is another matter.”