Gordon Matthew Sumner, more famously known as Sting, was born on October 2, 1951, in Wallsend, North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. He was the eldest of four children to Audrey Cowell, a hairdresser, and Ernest Matthew Sumner, an engineer and milkman. The origin of his name "Sting" can be attributed to a striped sweater he wore, which resembled a bee.
Growing up amidst the turmoil of the ship-building industry, Sting's passion for music began at a young age. He played in various bands, including jazz/rock groups like "Last Exit" and other ensembles, before settling down with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers for a decade-long tenure with the iconic rock trio, The Police.
In 1984, Sting embarked on a solo career, solidifying his reputation as one of the most literate songwriters and talented musicians in the world. He has also ventured into acting, starring in films such as Quadrophenia (1979),Radio On (1979),Plenty (1985),Julia and Julia (1987),Dune (1984),Bring on the Night (1985),and Gentlemen Don't Eat Poets (1995).
Throughout his illustrious career, Sting has received numerous accolades, including honorary Doctorate of Music degrees from Northumbria University in 1992 and Berklee College of Music in 1994. He is a multi-instrumentalist, proficient in playing the guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, piano, harmonica, saxophone, and pan-flute, and has even given a name to his bass, Brian.
Sting is married to film producer Trudie Styler and has six children with her and his ex-wife, actress Frances Tomelty. He owns a Jacobian castle in Wiltshire, known as "Lake House," where he records his albums, as well as residences in London, New York, Malibu, California, and a Renaissance Florentine Villa in Figline Valdarno, Tuscany, Italy.
Alongside his wife Trudie and a Brazilian Indian, Sting co-founded the Rainforest Foundation in 1989 to help preserve rainforests.
