When it comes to names befitting the fiery, punching history of rock & roll, few can match Sting. The ex-Police frontman has become so ingrained in the cultural zeitgeist that you don’t need to know any of his material to know the stature of his name.
Videos by American Songwriter
Though parents have been known to name their children stranger things, it’s likely you already knew Sting was an adopted stage name. But, do you know how he landed the tag? Find out, below.
[RELATED: 5 Songs You Didn’t Know Sting Wrote for Other Artists]
Behind the Name
Sting was born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner. Reared in Wallsend, England, the singer was a music enthusiast from a young age. His early inspirations included the Beatles, Thelonius Munk, and John Coltrane.
While in school, Sumner played in local clubs as part of bands called Pheonix Jazzmen and Last Exit. It was one of his Pheonix Jazzmen bandmates that dubbed Sumner, “Sting” for the first time. The nickname stemmed from a black-and-yellow striped sweater he often wore while performing.
“[The bandmate] made me sing a song which was awful,” Sting once told the Daily Star (via Bang Showbiz). “So, in protest, I began to wear a black and yellow top. He started to call me Sting as a joke. I’m grateful for it now as when you have to sign something, it’s short!”
The moniker has become more than a stage name, even the people in his personal life call him Sting.
“[My wife] Trudy calls me Sting,” he told Time in 2011. “I was never called Gordon. You could shout Gordon in the street and I would just move out of your way. My children call me Dad.”
The Police
In 1977, Sting moved to London and teamed up with Stewart Copeland and Henri Padovani (who was eventually replaced by Andy Summers) to form The Police.
The group became one of the most successful new wave bands of all time. Though they got off to a rocky start, the release of “Roxanne” helped to put the group on the map in 1978. Sting came up with the track after seeing prostitutes on the streets of Paris.
“It was the first time I’d seen prostitution on the streets, and those birds were actually beautiful,” Sting once explained. “I had a tune going around in my head, and I imagined being in love with one of those girls.”
[RELATED: Sting Sells Music Catalog to Universal Music for Estimated $300 Million]
Though “Roxanne” helped to jumpstart them into superstardom, it was “Every Breath You Take” that earned them their biggest hit to date.
The group disbanded in 1984, prompting Sting to embark on a solo career. Sting’s solo career continues to be a prolific one. The rock icon is slated to head out on a sprawling world tour on Tuesday, February 21. The trek will continue for most of the year, wrapping up on Dec. 4 in France. He also has a Vegas residency planned for April.
Check out his full tour dates, HERE.
Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage
