Sting
Biography
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (born 2 October 1951), known as Sting, is an English singer-songwriter, musician, activist, and actor. He was the frontman, principal songwriter and bassist for new wave band the Police from 1977 until their breakup in 1986. He launched a solo career in 1985 and has included elements of rock, jazz, reggae, classical, new-age, and worldbeat in his music. Sting has sold a combined total of more than 100 million records as a solo artist and as a member of the Police. He has received three Brit Awards, including Best British Male Artist in 1994 and Outstanding Contribution to Music in 2002; a Golden Globe; an Emmy; and four Academy Award nominations. As a solo musician and as a member of the Police, Sting has received 17 Grammy Awards. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Police in 2003. Sting has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors; a CBE from Queen Elizabeth II for services to music; Kennedy Center Honors; and the Polar Music Prize. In May 2023, he was made an Ivor Novello Fellow. Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner was born at Sir G B Hunter Memorial Hospital in Wallsend, Northumberland, England, on 2 October 1951, the eldest of four children of Audrey (née Cowell), a hairdresser, and Ernest Matthew Sumner, a milkman and former fitter at an engineering works. He grew up near Wallsend's shipyards, which made an impression on him. As a child, he was inspired by the Queen Mother waving at him from a Rolls-Royce to divert from the shipyard prospect towards a more glamorous life. He helped his father deliver milk and by ten was "obsessed" with an old Spanish guitar left by an emigrating friend of his father. Sting attended St Cuthbert's Grammar School in Newcastle upon Tyne. He visited nightclubs such as Club A'Gogo to see Cream and Manfred Mann, who influenced his music. He learned to sing and play simultaneously by listening to records at 78 rpm. After leaving school in 1969, he enrolled at the University of Warwick in Coventry, but left after a term. After working as a bus conductor, building labourer, and tax officer, he attended the Northern Counties College of Education (now Northumbria University) from 1971 to 1974 and qualified as a teacher.[20] He taught at St Paul's First School in Cramlington for two years. Sting performed jazz in the evenings, at weekends, and during breaks from college and teaching, playing 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 the 1985 documentary Bring On the Night a journalist called him Gordon, to which he replied, "My children call me Sting, my mother calls me Sting, who is this Gordon character?" In 2011, he told Time "I was never called Gordon. You could shout 'Gordon' in the street and I would just move out of your way". Despite this, he chose not to legally change his name to "Sting". ... Source: Article "Sting (musician)" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Known For

The Simpsons

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Graham Norton Show

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live
All Movies (193)
- Kaamelott: The Second Chapter (Part II)2026 · as Horsa
- Sting - Sounds Like Art Rijksmuseum Amsterdam2026
- GIMS à Paris la Défense Arena : le concert événement2025 · as Self : Guest (virtual)
- In Thanks We Trust2025 · as Self
- When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britain2025 · as Self
- FireAid Benefit Concert2025 · as Self
- The Making of Do They Know It's Christmas?2024 · as Self
- Sting and the Police at the BBC2024 · as Self
- Sting: Radio 2 in the Park2024 · as Self
- Message in a Bottle2024 · as Self - Lead Vocals
- Billy Joel: The 100th - Live at Madison Square Garden2024 · as Self
- Dolly Parton - From Rhinestones to Rock & Roll2023 · as Self
- Zucchero | Sugar Fornaciari2023 · as Self
- Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story2023 · as Self
- WHAM!2023 · as Self (archive footage)
- They All Came Out to Montreux2023 · as Self
- The Book of Solutions2023 · as Sting
- Christmas@Home 2022: Das Weihnachtskonzert mit Daniel Hope, Sting und weiteren Gästen2022 · as Self : Singer
- 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony2022 · as Self
- Sting : My Songs au château de Chambord2022 · as Self
- Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon2022 · as Self
- Sting, Daniel Hope & Freunde in Berlin Mit Golda Schultz, Bruce Liu u.v.m.2022
- Lindisfarne's Geordie Genius: The Alan Hull Story2021 · as Self
- The Sleeper Must Awaken: Making Dune2021 · as Self (voice) (archive footage)
- Sting at the Pantheon in Paris - 50 Years of FIP Radio2021 · as Self
- Great North: A Run. A River. A Region.2021 · as Self
- Kaamelott: The First Chapter2021 · as Horsa
- Mylène Farmer : Les Clips L'Intégrale (1999-2020)2021 · as Self
- Under the Volcano2021 · as Self
- Herb Alpert Is...2020 · as Self
- Le Grand Concert Unis pour le Liban2020 · as Self
- GIMS: On the Record2020 · as Self
- Citizens Of Boomtown: The Story of the Boomtown Rats2020 · as Self
- Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics2020 · as Self
- Space Songs: Through the Distance2020 · as Self
- The Big Night In2020 · as Self
- Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade2019 · as Self
- The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration2019 · as Self
- Mylène Farmer: 2019 - Le Film2019 · as Self
- Eric Burdon: Rock 'n' Roll Animal2019 · as Self
- Sting & Shaggy au Château d'Hérouville2019 · as Self
- I Want My MTV2019 · as Self
- Gurrumul2018 · as Self
- The Queen's Birthday Party2018 · as Self - Performer
- Ruben Blades Is Not My Name2018 · as Self
- Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen2018 · as Self - Performer
- Sting - Grenzgänger und Freigeist2017 · as Self
- Sting: A Free Man2017 · as Self
- Pavarotti, Birth of a Pop Star2017 · as Self
- Sting: Beyond The Police2017 · as Self - Musician
- Sting: Live at the Olympia Paris2017 · as Self - Vocals, Bass, Guitar
- The Dark Side of The Sun2017 · as Narrator
- Sting au Bataclan2016 · as Self
- Sting: 57th and 9th - The Interviews2016 · as Self
- Sting Live At Irving Plaza2016 · as Self
- Sting - Live at iHeartRadio Music Festival 20162016 · as Self
- Rock'n'roll... Of Corse!2016 · as Self
- Koko: The Gorilla Who Talks to People2016 · as Self (archive footage)
- Attenborough at 902016 · as Self
- Sonic Sea2016 · as Self
- Zoolander 22016 · as Sting
- Mylène Farmer : sur les pas d'une icône2015 · as Self
- Biggest Band Break Ups and Make Ups2015 · as Self
- Jaco2015 · as Self
- Iain Goes Inside the Last Ship2014 · as Self
- Sting: When the Last Ship Sails (Live at the Public Theater)2014 · as Self - Host, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Bass
- Bruce Springsteen A MusiCares Tribute2014 · as Self
- John Mayer: Someday I'll Fly2014 · as Self
- 20 Feet from Stardom2013 · as Self
- Radioman2012 · as Self
- Can't Stand Losing You: Surviving The Police2012 · as Self
- CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill2011 · as Self
- Sting - 25 Years2011 · as Self - Vocals, Bass
- Sting Festival de Viña del Mar2011 · as Self
- Sting: Live In Berlin2010 · as Self - Performer
- 2012: Time for Change2010 · as Self
- Still Bill2010 · as Self
- The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special - In 3D! On Ice!2010 · as Self
- Hope for Haiti Now2010 · as Self
- Bruce Springsteen - 32nd Annual of Kennedy Center Honors2009 · as Self
- The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts2009 · as Self
- Sting: A Winter's Night...Live From Durham Cathedral2009 · as Self
- If on a Winter's Night ... Live from Durham Cathedral2009 · as Self
- Twin Spirits: Sting performs Schumann2009 · as Robert Schumann
- Brüno2009 · as Self - 'Dove of Peace'
- PoliWood2009 · as Self
- Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB2009 · as Self
- Chris Botti in Boston2009 · as Self
- The Tribute to Pavarotti One Amazing Weekend in Petra2009 · as Self
- The Police: Certifiable2008 · as Self - Bass, Vocals
- The Police: Better Than Therapy2008 · as Self
- The Police: Live In Concert Tokyo2008 · as Self
- VH1 Rock Honors: The Who2008 · as Self
- Pavarotti The Duets2008 · as Self
- The Police Rock in Rio - Live Madrid2008 · as Self
- Bee Movie2007 · as Sting (voice)
- Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who2007 · as Self
- Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation2007 · as Self
- Scott Walker: 30 Century Man2007 · as Self
- Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out2007 · as Self - The Police Member (archive footage)
- The Police - Greatest Video Hits2007 · as Self (archive footage)
- STING: The Journey & The Labyrinth2007 · as Self
- The Police - Live in Rio2007 · as Self
- Chris Botti Live: With Orchestra and Special Guests2006 · as Self
- Herbie Hancock: Possibilities2006 · as Self
- Live 82005 · as Self
- An Intimate Evening with Mary J. Blige - Live from the House of Blues2005 · as Self
- Live Aid: 20 Years Ago Today2005 · as Self
- Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?2004 · as Self
- George Michael: A Different Story2004 · as Self
- Live Aid2004 · as Self
- The Secret Policeman's Ball: The Music Edition2004 · as Self
- Sting: The Journey & The Labyrinth: The Music of John Dowland2004 · as Self
- Sting: Inside - The Songs of Sacred Love2003 · as Self - Bass, Guitar, Lead Vocals
- The Police - Every Breath You Take2003 · as Self - Bass, Vocals
- Freedom Beat2003 · as Self
- The Sweatbox2002 · as Self
- Chris Botti & Friends - Night Sessions: Live in Concert2002 · as Self
- Sting ...All This Time2001 · as Self - Lead Singer
- Being Mick2001 · as Self
- The Police: Ghost in the Machine Tour - Live at Gateshead2001 · as Self
- America | A Tribute to Heroes2001 · as Self - Performer
- All Access: Front Row. Backstage. Live!2001 · as Self
- The Beatles Revolution2000 · as Self
- Sting: The Brand New Day Tour: Live From The Universal Amphitheatre2000 · as Self - Vocals, Bass
- The Filth and the Fury2000 · as Self (archive footage)
- Tina Turner : Celebrate!1999 · as Self
- Eric Clapton: Standing at the Crossroads1999 · as Self
- Twentieth Century Blues: The Songs of Noël Coward1999 · as Self
- Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels1998 · as JD
- The Mighty1998 · as The Balladeer
- Saturday Night Live: The Best of Phil Hartman1998 · as Billy Idol
- The Very Best of Sting & The Police1997 · as Self (archive footage)
- An Audience with Elton John1997 · as Self
- Music for Montserrat1997 · as Self
- The Police – Live Ghost In The Machine1996 · as Self - Vocals, Bass
- The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special1995 · as Self
- The Grotesque1995 · as Fledge
- The Police - Outlandos To Synchronicities1995 · as Self
- Sting – Fields Of Gold - The Best Of Sting1994 · as Self (archive footage)
- Sting - Englishman In Japan1994 · as Self
- Peter and the Wolf: A Prokofiev Fantasy1993 · as Narrator (voice)
- Take That Away!1993 · as Self
- Rolling Stone 25: The MTV Special1992 · as Self
- Pavarotti & Friends1992 · as Self
- Sting's 40th Birthday Celebration: Live from the Hollywood Bowl1991 · as Self - Vocals, Bass, Guitar
- Two Rooms: A Tribute to Elton John & Bernie Taupin1991 · as Self - Guest
- The Soul Cages Concert1991 · as Self
- Sting Unplugged1991 · as Self - Double Bass, Vocals
- Branford Marsalis: Steep1991 · as Self
- One World, One Voice1990 · as Self
- Resident Alien1990 · as Singer
- Dance of Hope1989
- The Adventures of Baron Munchausen1988 · as Heroic Officer
- Bruce Springsteen - Human Rights Final - Buenos Aires1988 · as Self
- Human Rights Now 25th Anniversary1988 · as Self - Musician
- Peter Gabriel, Sting, & Bruce Springsteen - Human Rights Now!1988 · as Self - Musician
- Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute1988 · as Self
- Prince's Trust Rock Gala - Volume 31988 · as Self
- Stormy Monday1988 · as Finney
- Julia and Julia1988 · as Daniel Hosler
- The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert1988 · as Self
- Sting and Gil Evans: Strange Fruit1987 · as Self - Vocals, Electric Bass
- The Best of Max Headroom1987 · as Self
- Prince's Trust Rock Gala - Volume 11986 · as Self - Performer
- U2 & The Police: A Conspiracy of Hope1986 · as Self
- Sting - Bring on the Night1985 · as Self
- Plenty1985 · as Mick
- The Bride1985 · as Frankenstein
- Live Aid1985 · as Self
- Dire Straits at Live Aid1985 · as Self
- Dire Straits: Money For Nothing1985 · as Sting (voice)
- Ligmalion: Or How to Help Yourself in Self-Help Britain1985 · as Machiavelli
- Dune1984 · as Feyd Rautha
- 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' - The Story Of The Official Band Aid Video1984 · as Self
- The Police: Synchronicity Concert1984 · as Self - Bass, Vocals
- The Police - Live In Oakland1983 · as Self - Vocals, Bass
- Police in Montserrat1983 · as Self
- Destination Dune1983 · as Self
- Brimstone & Treacle1982 · as Martin Taylor
- The Secret Policeman's Other Ball1982 · as Self
- The Police: Around The World1982 · as Self
- Artemis '811981 · as Helith
- Urgh! A Music War1981 · as Self
- The Police: Live in Essen - Rockpalast 19801980 · as Self
- Punk and Its Aftershocks1980 · as Self
- The Police: Live At Rockpalast1980 · as Self - Vocals, Bass
- Radio On1979 · as Just Like Eddie
- Quadrophenia1979 · as Ace Face
- Talking Pictures: Quadrophenia1979 · as Interviewee
- The Police - Live '79 at Hatfield Polytechnic1979 · as Self
- Acceleration Punk1977 · as Self
- Sting - Live at iHeartRadio— · as Self
All TV Shows (93)
- Billy Joel: And So It Goes2025 · as Self
- Live Aid at 40: When Rock ’n’ Roll Took on the World2025 · as Self
- Lubach2025
- Il était une fois Champs-Élysées2022 · as Self (archive footage)
- Only Murders in the Building2021 · as Sting
- Mylène Farmer, l’Ultime Création2020 · as Self
- Reel Stories2018 · as Self - Guest Star
- Brian Johnson's A Life on the Road2017 · as Self
- Catherine et Liliane2016 · as Sting
- Michael McIntyre's Big Show2016 · as Self - Performer
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015 · as Self - Guest/Musical Guest
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter2015 · as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self - Guest
- The Michael J. Fox Show2013 · as Sting
- Finding Your Roots2012 · as Self
- Life's Too Short2011 · as Sting
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
- Little Britain USA2008 · as Self
- Markus Lanz2008 · as Self
- NPR Tiny Desk Concerts2008 · as Self
- X Factor2008 · as Self - Guest
- Inas Nacht2007 · as Self
- The Graham Norton Show2007 · as Self
- Legends2006 · as Self
- Salut les Terriens !2006 · as Self - Guest
- Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip2006 · as Self
- The One Show2006 · as Self
- VH1 Storytellers2005 · as Self
- Miley's New Year's Eve Party2004 · as Self - Musical Guest
- Kulturplatz2004 · as Self
- On Air with Ryan Seacrest2004 · as Self
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show2003 · as Self
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show2003 · as Self - Musical Guest
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self - Musical Guest
- CMT Crossroads2002 · as Self
- Star Academy2001 · as Self
- Rove1999 · as Self
- The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn1999 · as Self - Guest
- TV total1999 · as Self
- Vivement dimanche1998 · as Self
- Parkinson1998 · as Self
- Ally McBeal1997 · as Sting
- Behind the Music1997 · as Self
- Leute heute1997 · as Self
- TFI Friday1996 · as Self
- MADtv1995 · as Self
- Lo + plus1995 · as Self - Guest
- TOTP21994 · as Self
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien1993 · as Self - Guest
- Late Show with David Letterman1993 · as Self - Musical Guest
- GMTV1993 · as Self
- The Larry Sanders Show1992 · as Sting
- Captain Planet and the Planeteers1990 · as Zarm (voice)
- The Simpsons1989 · as Sting (voice)
- MTV Unplugged1989 · as Self
- MTV Rockumentary1989 · as Self
- Under the Sun1989 · as Self
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988 · as Self
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988 · as Self - Guest
- Le monde est à vous1987 · as Self
- Sacrée soirée1987 · as Self
- Victoires de la musique1985 · as Self
- The Max Headroom Show1985 · as Self
- MTV Video Music Awards1984 · as Self
- Al TV1984 · as Self (archive footage)
- Late Night with David Letterman1982 · as Self - Guest
- Champs-Elysées1982 · as Self
- Champs-Elysées1982 · as Self - The Police
- De TV Show1981 · as Self
- CBS News Sunday Morning1979
- The Kenny Everett Video Show1978
- Bio’s Bahnhof1978 · as Self
- An Audience with...1978 · as Self
- The BRIT Awards1977 · as Self
- The Secret Policeman's Ball1976 · as Self
- Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Host
- Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Host & Musical Guest
- Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Musical Guest
- Les Rendez-vous du dimanche1975 · as Self
- Rockpalast1974
- American Music Awards1974 · as Self - Musical Guest
- Film '721971 · as Self
- The Old Grey Whistle Test1971 · as Self
- Titel, Thesen, Temperamente1967 · as Self
- Viña del Mar International Song Festival1963 · as Self - The Police
- Viña del Mar International Song Festival1963 · as Self - Musical Guest
- World in Action1963
- The Grammys1959 · as Self
- The Oscars1953 · as Self
- Today1952 · as Self
- Bambi1948 · as Self