Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner[1] (born: October 2, 1951),[3] better known professionally as Sting, is an English[2] musician, singer, and songwriter, who performs the genres rock, pop, punk, new wave, post-punk, ska, reggae, jazz, world, and soft rock. He's best known as the lead singer of the rock band The Police, but has also released numerous albums by himself as well, especially after the band's final breakup in 2008.[4]
As a solo artist, he's released a total of fourteen studio albums, including The Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985), ...Nothing Like the Sun (1987), The Soul Cages (1991), Ten Summoner's Tales (1993), Mercury Falling (1996), Brand New Days (1999), Sacred Love (2003), Songs from the Labyrinth (2006), If on a Winter's Night (2009), Symphonicities (2010), the Last Ship (2013), 57th & 9th (2016), My Songs (2019), and The Bridge (2021), one collaboration album, 44/876 (2018, with Shaggy), six live albums, which included Bring on the Night (1986), Acoustic Live in Newcastle (1991), ...All This Time (2001), The Journey and the Labyrinth (2007), Live in Berlin (2010), and Live at the Olympia Paris (2017), ten compilation albums, which were Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984–1994 (1994), At the Movies (1997), The Very Best of Sting & The Police (1997), Brand New Day: The Remixes (2000), Songs of Love (2003), My Funny Valentine: At the Movies (2005), 25 Years (3CD + 1DVD) (2011), The Best of 25 Years (2011), Songs from the Movies and Rarities (2CD) (2014), and Duets (2021), and five extended plays, which are Nada como el sol (1988), Demolition Man (1993), Five Live (1994), Live at TFI Friday EP (1996), and Still Be Love in the World (2001).[4]
Trivia
- His stage name comes from his habit of wearing a black and yellow sweater as a youngster, which made him look like a bumblebee.[5]