Sting

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Sting
1982 Sting AdrianButtigieg.jpg
Sting at Hamilton Arts Gallery in London in 1982 - copyright by Adrian Buttigieg
Basic information
Birth name: Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner
Birth date: 1951-10-02
Origin: Wallsend, England
Occupation(s): Musician, songwriter, producer, actor
Associated acts: The Police, Last Exit
Official website: http://www.sting.com
For other uses, please see Sting (disambiguation)

Background

Born in Wallsend, in the northeast of England, Gordon was the first son of Ernest Summer and Audrey Cowell. He has one younger brother, Philip, and two younger sisters, Angela and Anita. As a child, Gordon would often assist his father, who managed a dairy, with early morning milk-delivery rounds while Audrey worked as a hairdresser.

His early schooling would include attending St. Cuthbert's High School in Newcastle upon Tyne, and later the University of Warwick in Coventry, although he would leave after only one term. He held numerous jobs afterwards including working as a bus conductor, a construction worker, and a tax officer. From 1971 to 1974, he attended Northern Counties College of Education to qualify as a teacher, and he then worked as a schoolteacher a St. Paul's First School in Cramlington for two years.

Early musical career

While holding down these numerous jobs in through the mid-70s, Sumner still held hopes of a successful career as a musician. He would perform during vacations, weekends, and late hours of the night whenever he could score a gig, and played with several local jazz groups such as the Phoenix Jazzmen, the Newcastle Big Band, and Last Exit. It was during his time with the Phoenix Jazzmen that he picked up the nickname "Sting" due to a black-and-yellow striped sweater he wore to a performance. Bandleader Gordon Solomon declared it made him look like a bumblebee and thus the name was born.

The Police

Main article: The Police

This section needs more information.

Solo music career

This section needs more information.

Acting

Main article: Filmography (Sting)

Sting's striking good looks made him a wanted property as both a model, during his early struggling times with The Police and as an actor. Landing the part of "The Ace Face" in the movie adaption of The Who's Quadrophenia would prove to be a huge break for the band, thanks to the publicity his appearance would generate. Following Quadrophenia, Sting would continue to dabble occasionally in acting, notably in the film adaptions of Brimstone & Treacle and Dune. In 1989 he would also star in the New York and Washington productions of The Threepenny Opera as Macheath (Mack the Knife).

Activism and charitable work

This section needs more information.

Personal life

Sting's first marriage was to Frances Tomelty, an actress from Northern Ireland. The union lasted from 1976 to 1984, during which time they had two children: Joseph, born in 1976 and Fuchsia Katherine, born in 1982. He separated from Frances not soon after the birth of Katherine in 1982 and began living with Trudie Styler, also an actress who would later become a film producer. They would marry in 1992, and have four children: Bridget Michaela; born 1984-01-19, Jake, born 1985-05-24; Eliot "Coco" Pauline, born 1990-07-30, and Giacomo Luke, born 1995-12-17.

In 1980 moved to Galoway, Ireland, becoming a tax exile, and has since bought numerous other properties to call home. There is the Elizabethan manor house "Lake House" with its 60-acre estate in Wiltshire, England; a country cottage in the Lake District; a New York City apartment; a beach house in Malibu, California, a 600-acre estate in Tuscany, Italy; and two properties in London: an apartment on The Mall and an 18th century terrace house in Highgate.

Sting's parents both died from cancer in 1987. There was some controvesy over his decision not to attend either funeral, his reason being that the media circus surrounding him attending would have been disrespectful to his parents.

Sting is a noted advocate of yoga.

Legal battles

This section needs more information.

Discography

Main article: Discography (Sting)

Studio albums

Live albums

Awards, nominations and other notable achievements

This section needs more information.

See also

External links

References

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