MusicBox- Sting - A Professional At His Game
Aug, 7 2024
Gordon Sumner better known as his stage name Sting has been creating fantastic music since 1969.
However being a musician wasn’t an immediate goal. After a series of jobs he attended the Northern Counties College of Education (now Northumbria University) from 1971 – 1974 and qualified as a teacher. He taught at St. Paul’s First School in Cramlington for two years.
During this time he performed jazz with the Phoenix Jazzmen, Newcastle Big Band and Last Exit.
He gained his nickname after his habit of wearing a black and yellow jumper with hooped stripes with the Phoenix Jazzmen. Bandleader Gordon Solomon thought he looked like a bee (or according to Sting himself, "they thought I looked like a wasp"), which prompted the name "Sting".
In January 1977, Sting moved from Newcastle to London and joined Stewart Copeland and Henry Padovani (soon replaced by Andy Summers) to form The Police. They had some great tunes but it was clear early on that Sting was the principal songwriter and leader and after some time as a group he was ready to go solo.
His first solo album, 1985’s ‘The Dream of the Blue Turtles’ featured jazz musicians which continued throughout his career.
By the time he released his fourth album ‘Ten Summoner’s Tales’ in 1993 he had established himself as one of the best musicians of his generation. The song ‘Fields of Gold’ was taken from the album and reached number 16 on the UK singles chart and number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The music video for the song was directed by Kevin Goldey, featuring Sting as a gold silhouette.
Let’s remind ourselves of that absolute classic:-
For the past thirty years Sting has been involved in –
- Soundtracks
- Poignant releases
- Awards
- Experimental albums
- Police reunion
- Collaborations
On Saturday September 7th 2024 he is billed as the headline act for Radio 2’s ‘In the Park’- Moor Park Preston. Expect all the hits from his Police days to his solo career. For further information simply visit the following website link –
https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e89j6q
If you’re a mega fan of Sting and would like the latest updates on his music and touring take a look at his website –
Sting remains a true perfectionist when it comes to songwriting and creating melodies. He has penned some of the finest songs in the last century and has maintained a close fan-base to those that support him around the world. He inspires younger musicians to come forward into a music career and learn from him as a real master of his craft.
^Alex Ashworth CCG UK Blogger
