Sting: biography, best songs, interesting facts, listen

Sting

The ideal music Sting considers silence, which makes it possible to focus on yourself and your inner world. What then does this British artist do if the ideal has already been created? He draws a beautiful frame around it with the help of music, complements the new sound, maintains harmony. Judging by the number of fans, he is doing well. How he managed to win the love of the public and why his songs resonate in the hearts of people, our article.

short biography

In one of the interviews, Sting admitted that childhood is not the period he would like to repeat. The reason for such a categorical statement is simple - the singer was born in a family where there was only enough money for the most necessary things. Dream of a new toy did not have to.

The singer was born on October 2, 1951. This event took place in Newcastle-upon-Time, a large industrial city in the north-east of England. The family of Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, namely, the actor was called at birth, lived on the modest salary of his father, an assembler of a machine-building company. While he was making a living, his wife was engaged in raising children - after the birth of Gordon, another boy and two girls were born.

Life within our means, constant shouts and quarrels of children exhausted their parents - they often spoke in raised voices. Little Gordon even believed that a divorce was inevitable. But his worries did not come true. Subsequently, the father changed jobs and became the manager of a small store. As assistants, he took the eldest son, Gordon. He helped with the delivery of milk and tried to prove that he was the best in this business.

In his free time from school and work, the boy loved to hit the ball, like all British boys. It was much more interesting than boring lessons for which he did not feel zeal. As a result, mediocre examinations and a narrow circle of educational institutions for further education.

In 1971, he became a student at a pedagogical college, who graduated with a diploma in English language and music. With this document, he went on internship to a high school, and then on a permanent job in primary school. Here he was waited for by two years of work with junior classes as a teacher.

When is the time for music in Sting's life? It has already arrived. During the breaks, a talented English teacher enthusiastically played the guitar or retired while playing the piano. This man is not limited. His thirst for music went far beyond the school walls: he joined the local Newcastle groups with whom he performed on weekends.

The second half of the 70s in the history of British rock music can be characterized in two words: uncertainty and prostration. Former leaders could not offer the public anything new, and new idols have not yet appeared. At this moment, the trio "The Police" appears on the scene. The formation of the group began with a simple meeting of Stuart Copeland, who played the drummers, and Gordon Sumner, our hero. A little later, Henry Padovani joined them, thus completing the formation of "The Police".

Creativity of the group began with not quite successful work, the track "Fall Out". But this did not stop the musicians, and in 1978, under the leadership of manager Miles Copeland, they released their first album, Outlandos d'Amou. The most popular song was the song "Roxanne".

The fame of the group grew. Among its participants, Gordon Sumner was particularly notable. In 1983, the fifth studio album was released - nothing foretold disintegration. However, in 1984 the musicians decided to do solo projects. So a new singer appeared on the scene - Sting.

Career Gordon Sumner with a new name began quite successfully. In the summer of 1985, he released his first album "The Dream of the Blue Turtles". The British have awarded him third place in the charts, while the Americans - the second. Although the compositions feel the notes of "The Police", the album stands out for jazz sound. Where did it come from jazz? The singer was fond of him in his youth, and now he has the opportunity to play it.

With the onset of a solo career, little has changed in Sting’s life. All the same concerts, performances and tours. That's just already surrounded by other people, other musicians. They helped him record new hits and albums, for which the Briton received various awards. He was honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as his own star.

The artist drew his inspiration from the surrounding reality. So, in 1991, he released the disc "Soul Cages". Fans recognize it as the most melancholic. And this is the reason - the death of parents. But melancholy is not eternal. This proves the next album of the singer "Ten Summoner's Tales", filled with light and joy.

Another event that pushed the musician to create the album was the explosion of the twin towers on September 11, 2001. He conveyed his mood and impressions through the songs that are included in the collection "Sacred Love".

Sting currently resides in New York with his family. Actively performs and releases albums with a frequency of 1-3 years. His tours cover Europe, Russia, Brazil and America. And everywhere they are waiting for him. Despite his age, 65 years old, he is ready to continue to delight the audience with his creativity.

Interesting Facts

• Sting is just a creative pseudonym. Translated from English, it means "sting". There are several versions of the appearance of this name. According to one of them, the singer was nicknamed Sting for the fact that at the dawn of his career he constantly wore a yellow-and-black striped sweater. The similar color scale involuntarily casts associations with a bumblebee. Another version says that the singer simply borrowed a pseudonym. In any case, friends and acquaintances of the artist believe that the name fully reflects its intolerable and intolerable character. Sting himself no longer remembers why he decided to take just such a pseudonym.

• Since childhood, he dreamed of becoming a musician and ... a football player.
• In his school years, Sting collected a small collection of nicknames. At first, for his tall he was nicknamed Larchem in honor of the hero of the same name, "Addams Family". Then someone decided to write his name on the contrary, receiving a new nickname Noddy.
• The singer owes his love for reading to his grandmother. It was she who gave him the hands of "Treasure Island", which the famous grandson did not part with as a teenager.
• Parents of the artist were Catholics. They also introduced their children to the observance of church canons. At the age of 7, Sting even sang in the church choir and helped the priest. But the righteous life soon bored him, although it left an imprint on creativity.
• After receiving secondary education, Sting was able to enroll in two colleges. One prophesied his linguistic career, the other - the programmer. But the young man could not make a choice and left both schools.
• In 1995, the trial of the singer’s accountant was held. The plaintiff was made by Sting himself. He accused Keith Moore of embezzlement and “secured” him six years in prison.
• Sting twice tied the knot. The first wife of the singer was the actress Francis Tomelti. Together they lived for about 8 years and gave life to two children. In 1992, a Briton married another actress, Trudie Styler. Unnoticed by a close friend, she became a muse and a wife. In the new relationship, Sting was expecting the birth of four more children, three of whom appeared before marriage: the first unsuccessful union had such a strong influence on a man.
• To conclude a second marriage Sting made not Trudy, and daughter Mickey. Once she asked him a simple question: who is such a bastard (in the English culture this is the name of illegitimate children)? That was enough to get married.

• In the late 1980s, Sting and Trudy went on a journey through the rainforests of Brazil. They were so amazed by the situation of the local Indians and the future of the “lungs of the planet” that they decided to create a tropical forest protection fund. For this contribution, the name of Sting was immortalized in the name of one of the frog subspecies - Dendropsophus stingi.
• Sting owes his mom and uncle his acquaintance with the world of music. Mom played the piano, laying the idea in the child: for the music to appear, you just need to touch the keys. By the way, such conviction affected the character and stubbornness of the singer. Well, my uncle just forgot a guitar in their house, which was not ignored by a curious boy.
• The singer’s daughter from the second marriage, Eliot Paulina Sumner, decided to follow in her father’s footsteps. At 20, she released her first album under the pseudonym I blame Coco. The second disk got into rotation already under its real name. To overshadow his father, Eliot has not yet succeeded. Joseph Sumner, the first heir to the singer, also decided to repeat Sting’s creative career.

• In the work of the British musician there is a song about Russians. It is called "Russians". At the time of recording the composition, in 1985, the USSR lived in the conditions of the Cold War, which was reflected in the text of the track. In an interview with Vladimir Pozner, the singer said that he was inspired to watch Soviet television programs for children by writing "Russians". In them, he saw the warmth and love. Therefore, in the song, Sting calls on the USSR to reflect on the consequences of the Cold War for the sake of the children and their future.
• The witness at the singer's wedding was an unusual person, and the leader of the tribe from Amazonia. Sting met him while traveling through the jungle. The acquaintance grew into a friendship.
• Early awakening, yoga and meditation are the typical mornings of a famous singer.
• In his youth, the musician was fond of athletics and once even took second place in short-distance running.
• A glass of good wine from Sting - why not? After all, the singer has his own wine production, the quality of which was estimated by world-class experts.

Sting's Top Songs

This Briton has written many songs. They are remembered for beautiful music and texts filled with meaning. What songs of Sting did almost everyone sing at least once in their life?

• "Englishman in new york". Despite the fact that the single could not take a leading position in the charts, it became a real hit of 1988. Whether the loss of the saxophone or Sting's talent is to blame for this. The composition is rightly considered the most famous in the work of this singer. History of its creation associated with the name of the British writer Quentin Crisp, one of the representatives of gay culture in Britain. With him the musician met on the set of the film "The Bride." Their friendship continued in New York, where Sting came to record the album. Here Quentin told his friend about not easy Fate. Impressed by what was said and the song was written.

"Englishman in New York" (listen)

• "Shape of My Heart"known even to film fans in the film" Leon. "A touching and lyrical composition, sounding at the end of the tape, is always associated with a love theme. But only for those who are not familiar with the English language. In fact, it sung about a card player who plays in order to solve the logic of luck. It is noteworthy that the single could only get to the 57th line of the British charts, but this did not prevent the composition from becoming the most famous.

"Shape of My Heart" (listen)

• "Fields of gold"Not only Sting's fans, but his wife are crazy about this song. And there is nothing surprising in this: the composition is devoted to their relationship. It sung about golden fields, the view of which was opened from the windows of the singer's country house. because it looks like the eared barley in the rays of the setting sun. This is how Sting sings. The single was used as a musical accompaniment by figure skater Michelle Kwan at the Olympics. True, it was not Sting who performed it, but Eva Cassidy version yu "Fields of Gold".

"Fields of Gold" (listen)

• "Fragile". To write a song influenced by the impressions of the social situation in the world is in the spirit of this British. What did push the singer to create" Fragile "? The unjust death of American engineer Ben Linder. orders in Nicaragua with the help of the revolutionary movement. The death of Linder angered the Americans and Sting, who dedicated the song "Fragile" to him. It was recorded not only in English, but also in two more languages: Spanish and Portuguese.
• "Every Breath You Take"This single was written by Sting as part of The Police. The composition is far from the romance that the public ascribes to it. The musician himself calls the song" spiteful "because he veiled the subject of surveillance and control by the state in it. Although the fans misunderstood the main thing the idea of ​​a musician, it does not prevent them from dancing under "Every Breath You Take" at weddings and romantic evenings.

Films about Sting and his participation

The creative potential of this British is not limited to music. Sting is a recognizable face in the world of cinematography. And not as a composer of soundtracks, but as an actor. He took part in the filming of about 14 full-length feature films. Concert DVDs are a separate list.

The debut film Sting became "Quadrophony". In cinemas the film appeared in 1979. The singer got the role of Trump, who in the plot smashes rockers and police to the music of the British rock band "The Who".

Kinomany noted the acting talent of the singer in the movie "Dune" (1984). In this fantastic plot he got the role of Feid Rauta, with which he coped perfectly well.

Special mention deserves the film Guy Ritchie "Cards, money, two trunks" (1998). The episodic role of the father of the protagonist Eddie is not the only contribution of the Sting family to this film. The singer's wife, Trudy, sponsored this project. Rate the game Sting can be in other films: "Julia and Julia" (1987) and "The Adventures of Baron Mungausen" (1988).

To look behind the scenes, to witness the preparation for performances, we offer, after watching documentaries about this British musician:

• "Call the night" (1986);
• "Sting: Live in Berlin" (2010).

Sting's music in movies

The theme of cinematography continues with an impressive list of soundtracks written by Sting. Here are just a few of them.

The Brightest Duets With Sting

Any duet is a combination of two talents. Who made the company to the bitter, soft tenor of Sting?

• Milen Farmer. Together they quail "Stolen car", which was released on the album "Sacred Love" in the early 2000s. In the new interpretation of the intertwined French and English, as well as the changed arrangement. A proposal for cooperation came from Milen herself. She came to the performance of Sting, which he gave in the church, and fell in love with his songs. They did not stop at the recording of the composition and presented to the public a romantic clip.
• Stevie Wander. On his 60th birthday, Sting gave himself a real gift. Although not only myself, but the whole hall. On his birthday, he gave a concert, which invited Stevie Wonder. Together they sang "Fragile" and conquered the audience.
• Elton John and Paul McCartney. This is already a trio, and what a trio! Three Britons, three musical geniuses on the same stage performed "Hey Jude", which The Beatles fans first heard in 1968. The performance was given as part of a charity concert and remained in the memory of connoisseurs of good music.

• Luciano Pavarotti. Hardly anyone supposed to see Sting along with the opera singer. But this event took place in 1992. Despite the contrast in temperaments, the duet turned out beautiful and memorable. They performed the song "Panis Angelicus", the text of which was written in the XIII century by Thomas Aquinas.
• Josh Groban. Another beautiful combination of voices playing one of Sting's best songs "Shape On My Heart". This musical duet took place in 2009.

Sting distinguishes loyalty to the principles: he was never afraid to sing about what excites him. Whether it is politics, social unrest in the world or love. The lyrics of his songs are distinguished by a deep meaning, for which the harmony of the notes serves as a beautiful frame. This is Sting's talent: talking about life around in the language of music.