Sting

  • Wallsend, England
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  • Rock
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  • 1981
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About Sting

Official Site: sting.com | facebook.com/sting


After disbanding the Police at the peak of their popularity in 1984, Sting quickly established himself as a viable solo artist, one obsessed with expanding the boundaries of pop music. Sting incorporated heavy elements of jazz, classical, and worldbeat into his music, writing lyrics that were literate and self-consciously meaningful, and he was never afraid to emphasize this fact in the press. For such unabashed ambition, he was equally loved and reviled, with supporters believing that he was at the forefront of literate, intelligent rock and his critics finding his entire body of work pompous. Either way, Sting remained one of pop's biggest superstars for the first ten years of his solo career, before his record sales began to slip.

Before the Police were officially disbanded, Sting began work on his first solo album late in 1984, rounding up a group of jazz musicians as a supporting band. Moving from bass to guitar, he recorded his solo debut, 1985's The Dream of the Blue Turtles, with Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland, and Omar Hakim. The move wasn't entirely unexpected, since Sting had played with jazz and progressive rock bands in his youth, but the result was considerably more mature and diverse than any Police record. The album became a hit, with "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," "Love Is the Seventh Wave," and "Fortress Around Your Heart" reaching the American Top Ten. Sting brought the band out on an extensive tour and filmed the proceedings for a 1986 documentary called Bring on the Night, which appeared alongside a live double album of the same name. That year, Sting participated in a half-hearted Police reunion that resulted in only one new song, a re-recorded version of "Don't Stand So Close to Me."

Following the aborted Police reunion, Sting began working on the ambitious Nothing Like the Sun, which was dedicated to his recently deceased mother. Proceeding from a jazz foundation, and again collaborating with Marsalis, Sting worked with a number of different musicians on the album, including Gil Evans and former Police guitarist Andy Summers. The album received generally positive reviews upon its release in late 1987, and it generated hit singles with "We'll Be Together" and "They Dance Alone." Following its release, Sting began actively campaigning for Amnesty International and environmentalism, establishing the Rainforest Foundation, which was designed to raise awareness about preserving the Brazilian rainforest. An abridged Spanish version of Nothing Like the Sun, Nada Como el Sol, was released in 1988.

Sting took several years to deliver the follow-up to Nothing Like the Sun, during which time he appeared in a failed Broadway revival of The Threepenny Opera in 1989. His father also died, which inspired 1991's The Soul Cages, a dense, dark, and complex album. Although the album peaked at number two and spawned the Top Ten hit "All This Time," the record was less successful than its predecessor. Two years later, he delivered Ten Summoner's Tales, a light, pop-oriented record that became a hit on the strength of two Top 20 singles, "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" and "Fields of Gold." At the end of 1993, "All for Love," a song he recorded with Rod Stewart and Bryan Adams for The Three Musketeers, became a number one hit. The single confirmed that Sting's audience had shifted from new wave/college rock fans to adult contemporary, and the 1994 compilation Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting played to that new fan base.

Three years after Ten Summoner's Tales, Sting released Mercury Falling in the spring of 1996. Although the album debuted highly, it quickly fell down the charts, stalling at platinum sales and failing to generate a hit single. Although the album failed, Sting remained a popular concert attraction, a feat that confirmed his immense popularity regardless of his chart status. Released in 1999, Brand New Day turned his commercial fortunes around in a big way, though, eventually going triple-platinum and earning two Grammy Awards. Issued in 2003, Sacred Love also did well, and Sting spent several years with the reunited Police before returning to his solo game for 2009's If on a Winter's Night.... One year later, he hit the road alongside the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, who added their own symphonic arrangements to his material. Symphonicities, a companion CD, and Live in Berlin, released in conjunction with the world tour, arrived that same year. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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Music

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  • A&M 50 Webisode
    sting
    Video
    A&M 50 Webisode
  • Let It Be Me (From CMT Crossroads)
    sting
    Video
    Let It Be Me (From CMT Crossroads)
  • Shape of My Heart (From CMT Crossroads)
    sting
    Video
    Shape of My Heart (From CMT Crossroads)
  • Fields of Gold (From CMT Crossroads)
    sting
    Video
    Fields of Gold (From CMT Crossroads)
  • Every Breath You Take (From CMT Crossroads)
    sting
    Video
    Every Breath You Take (From CMT Crossroads)
  • Whenever You Come Around (From CMT Crossroads)
    sting
    Video
    Whenever You Come Around (From CMT Crossroads)
  • These Days (From CMT Crossroads)
    sting
    Video
    These Days (From CMT Crossroads)
  • Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away (From CMT Crossroads)
    sting
    Video
    Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away (From CMT Crossroads)
  • Liza Jane (From CMT Crossroads)
    sting
    Video
    Liza Jane (From CMT Crossroads)
  • If I Ever Lose My Faith in You (From CMT Crossroads)
    sting
    Video
    If I Ever Lose My Faith in You (From CMT Crossroads)

Interviews & Exclusives

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  • CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill - 02
    sting
    video
    CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill - 02
  • CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill - 03
    sting
    video
    CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill - 03
  • CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill - 04
    sting
    video
    CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill - 04
  • CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill - 01
    sting
    video
    CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill - 01
  • CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill - 05
    sting
    video
    CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill - 05
  • CMT Crossroads Extras - Sting and Vince Gill - Starting to Sing
    sting
    video
    CMT Crossroads Extras - Sting and Vince Gill - Starting to Sing
  • CMT Crossroads Extras - Sting and Vince Gill - Dire Straits
    sting
    video
    CMT Crossroads Extras - Sting and Vince Gill - Dire Straits
  • CMT Crossroads Extras - Sting and Vince Gill - Country Music in Britain
    sting
    video
    CMT Crossroads Extras - Sting and Vince Gill - Country Music in Britain
  • CMT Crossroads Extras - Sting and Vince Gill - Streets of Loredo
    sting
    video
    CMT Crossroads Extras - Sting and Vince Gill - Streets of Loredo
  • CMT Crossroads Extras - Sting and Vince Gill - Upbringings
    sting
    video
    CMT Crossroads Extras - Sting and Vince Gill - Upbringings

Photos

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  • Sting performs at the 2007 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California.
    Sting
    Sting performs at the 2007 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California.
    Getty Images
  • Sting performs at the 2004 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California.
    Sting
    Sting performs at the 2004 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California.
    Getty Images
  • Vince Gill (left) and Sting share their love of music for <I>CMT Crossroads</I>.
    Sting
    Vince Gill (left) and Sting share their love of music for CMT Crossroads.
    Rick Diamond/Getty Images
  • Vince Gill (left) and Sting perform one another's hits on <I>CMT Crossroads</I>.
    Sting
    Vince Gill (left) and Sting perform one another's hits on CMT Crossroads.
    Rick Diamond/Getty Images
  • Vince Gill (left) and Sting joke around onstage during <I>CMT Crossroads</I>.
    Sting
    Vince Gill (left) and Sting joke around onstage during CMT Crossroads.
    Rick Diamond/Getty Images
  • Vince Gill (left) and Sting perform before a live audience for <I>CMT Crossroads</I>.
    Sting
    Vince Gill (left) and Sting perform before a live audience for CMT Crossroads.
    Rick Diamond/Getty Images
  • Vince Gill (left) and Sting put their guitar skills on display during their taping of <I>CMT Crossroads</I>.
    Sting
    Vince Gill (left) and Sting put their guitar skills on display during their taping of CMT Crossroads.
    Rick Diamond/Getty Images
  • Sting performs on &quot;Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief.&quot;
    Sting
    Sting performs on "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief."
    Picture Group
  • Sting performs on &quot;Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief.&quot;
    Sting
    Sting performs on "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief."
    Picture Group
  • Sting performs on &quot;Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief.&quot;
    Sting
    Sting performs on "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief."
    Picture Group

News

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  • Sting
    Last Lap: What Piece Of Advice Is Bruce Jenner Giving To Kendall And Kylie?
    VH1 Celebrity
    June 14, 2013
    Who does John Stamos consider "the one that got away?" Johnny Depp's son seems to idolize one of the actor's famous friends, and a new trailer for ...
    Read More
  • Sting
    Does Pepper Spray Need A Glamorous Makeover?
    MTV Style
    June 14, 2013
    BlingSting is a thing. Photo: Courtesy of BlingSting We get press releases of varying utility all day at MTV Style. Some are helpful and exciting ...
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  • Sting
    Related Links: Throw Your Diamonds In The Sky
    MTV Style
    June 13, 2013
    Kelly Clarkson performs SANS engagement ring. Photo: Getty Images • WOOPSIES! Kelly Clarkson lost her canary diamond engagement ring mid-performa...
    Read More
  • Sting
    Sting Announces 'Winter' Album For Fall
    www.billboard.com
    of these disparate styles into one album I hope we have created something refreshing and new." "If On A Winter's Night" finds Sting collaborating with...
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  • Sting
    Sting Giving His Songs the Royal Treatment On Orchestra Tour | Billboard.com
    www.billboard.com
    new songwriting, though he's also working on a musical that he says is "way in the future" and plans to do some holiday concerts featuring the music o...
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  • Sting
    Sting To Play Police, Solo Hits With Royal Philharmonic | Billboard.com
    www.billboard.com
    such as "Fields of Gold" and "Englishman in New York." The tour kicks off on June 2 at Vancouver's Centre for the Performing Arts. Only four other dat...
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  • Sting
    Matthew Morrison Lets Sting Be His Co-Pilot On “Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot”
    idolator.com
    assist is entirely welcome, but "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" won't likely get hearts racing any faster than they did for "Summer Rain" or "Still Got ...
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  • Sting
    Sting, "I Hung My Head"
    American Songwriter
    Sting has written some really great songs that won't go down as classics or standards because, frankly, his vocabulary and melodies are usually more s...
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  • Sting
    Sting Releasing Album of New Music in Fall
    www.billboard.com
    Sting's first full-length album of new music since 2003's "Sacred Love" is on the horizon. The singer's publicist tells the New York Times that he'll ...
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  • Sting
    Sting to Release New Album in September
    Paste
    Sting is set to release a new studio album titled The Last Ship this fall, his publicist announced yesterday. The album, his first full-length release...
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  • Sting
    AC/DC's Brian Johnson to Guest on Sting's next Album
    music.yahoo.com
    Related ContentView Photo AC/DC's Brian Johnson to Guest on Sting's next Album At age 61, Sting still has a few surprises left up his sleeve. AC/DC sc...
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  • Sting
    Sting, Billy Joel, Elton John at Songwriters Hall
    music.yahoo.com
    Related ContentView Photo Inductees Steven Tyler, left, and Joe Perry from the band Aerosmith perform at the ...View Photo Sting performs at the Songw...
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  • Sting
    Sting, Billy Joel, Smokey Robinson Perform As Legends Inducted Into Songwriters Hall of Fame
    www.billboard.com
    Sting performed in honor of Elton John, Billy Joel sang snippets of Foreigner's hits when introducing the band and Smokey Robinson debuted part of a n...
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Tour Dates

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  • Jun 20 Thursday
    Bangor, ME, US Bangor Waterfront Pavilion
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 20 Thursday
    Uncasville, CT, US Mohegan Sun Arena
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  • Jun 21 Friday
    Boston, MA, US Bank of America Pavilion
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  • Jun 22 Saturday
    Uncasville, CT, US Mohegan Sun Arena
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  • Jun 22 Saturday
    Bangor, ME, US Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion (formerly Bangor Waterfront Park)
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  • Jun 24 Monday
    Summerside, PE, Canada Credit Union Place
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  • Jun 26 Wednesday
    Saint John's, NL, Canada Mile One Centre
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  • Jun 29 Saturday
    Oświęcim, Poland Stadion Mosir
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  • Jun 29 Saturday
    Oświęcim, Poland Unknown venue
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  • Jul 1 Monday
    Cork, Ireland Live At The Marquee
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  • Jul 3 Wednesday
    Gothenburg, Sweden Liseberg
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  • Jul 4 Thursday
    Rättvik, Sweden Dalhalla
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  • Jul 5 Friday
    Arras, France Unknown venue
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  • Jul 6 Saturday
    Arras, France La Citadelle
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  • Jul 8 Monday
    Verona, Italy Arena di Verona
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  • Jul 9 Tuesday
    Palermo, Italy Foro Italico
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  • Jul 9 Tuesday
    Rome, Italy Foro Italico
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  • Jul 9 Tuesday
    Rome, Italy Foro Italico - Il Centrale Live
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  • Jul 10 Wednesday
    Mainz, Germany Zollhafen-nordmole
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  • Jul 10 Wednesday
    Mainz, Germany Zollhafen (nordmole)
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  • Jul 10 Wednesday
    Mainz, Germany Zollhafengebiet
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  • Jul 11 Thursday
    Stavern, Norway Unknown venue
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  • Jul 11 Thursday
    Stavern, Norway Unknown venue
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  • Jul 12 Friday
    Stavern, Norway Stavernfestivalen
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  • Jul 13 Saturday
    Rotterdam, Netherlands North Sea Jazz Festival
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 13 Saturday
    Copenhagen, Denmark Tivoli Gardens
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  • Jul 16 Tuesday
    Montreux, Switzerland Auditorium Stravinski
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 18 Thursday
    Juan Les Pins, France Jazz A Juan
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 19 Friday
    Zürich, Switzerland Live At Sunset / Dolder
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 21 Sunday
    Kazan, Russian Federation Tatneft Arena
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 22 Monday
    Samara, Russian Federation Palace of Sport
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 24 Wednesday
    Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation Chelyabinsk Ice Arena Tractor
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 25 Thursday
    Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation Ice Sports Palace
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 26 Friday
    Tienen, Belgium Unknown venue
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 27 Saturday
    Tienen, Belgium Festivalterrein Suikerrock
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 29 Monday
    Cattolica, Italy Arena Della Regina
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 31 Wednesday
    Bucharest, Romania Romexpo
    Buy Ticket

Discography

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  • Live in Japan 1994 (2012)
    Sting
    Live in Japan 1994 (2012)
    Immortal
  • Live in Berlin (2010)
    Sting
    Live in Berlin (2010)
  • Symphonicities (2010)
    Sting
    Symphonicities (2010)
    DG
  • If on a Winter's Night... (2009)
    Sting
    If on a Winter's Night... (2009)
    DG Deutsche Grammophon
  • Bring On the Night [Disc Two] (2007)
    Sting
    Bring On the Night [Disc Two] (2007)
    Universal Music
  • Bring On The Night [Disc One] (2007)
    Sting
    Bring On The Night [Disc One] (2007)
    Universal Music
  • Sting Live: Music From the Labyrinth and More (2007)
    Sting
    Sting Live: Music From the Labyrinth and More (2007)
    DG Deutsche Grammophon
  • Songs from the Labyrinth (2006)
    Sting
    Songs from the Labyrinth (2006)
    UMG Recordings Inc.
  • Sacred Love (2003)
    Sting
    Sacred Love (2003)
    A&M Records
  • All This Time (2001)
    Sting
    All This Time (2001)
    A&M Records
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