Sting was the driving force in one of rock's most successful ever bands, The Police, and their unique sound, combining rock and reggae, made them arguably the first really successful artists to embrace what is now called 'world music'.

Born in Wallsend, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England in 1951, and real name Gordon Matthew Sumner, Sting first really got 'into' music after watching The Jimi Hendrix Experience on the legendary British TV chart music show, 'Top Of The Pops', in 1966. Hooked by Hendrix's magnetism, the boy who would be Sting sneaked in, underage, to see him at a club, and recalled that it was an "overwhelming deafening wave of sound." Sumner learnt to impress people by playing 'Purple Haze', though began his career playing in jazz bands.

A former schoolteacher, Sting is one of the more eloquent and compassionate of rock stars, whether it's campaigning to save rainforests, helping to erase poverty, or getting Bart Simpson out of a well! Not many rock stars have had a tree frog named after them either - in Sting's case, Hyla stingi Kaplan, in 1994, for his environmental work. Also a CBE and OBE, it's being named after a tree frog which really means something!

Sting has topped 100 million sales, when you include records shifted with The Police and as a solo artist. His 'Every Breath You Take' is one of the classic songs of the rock era, and other outstanding songs he's written include 'Fields Of Gold', which can already be called a standard.

- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.

Sting's Official Website

Selected Sting related CDs available from Amazon.co.uk

Selected Sting related CDs available from Amazon.com

The Very Best of Sting and the Police

The Very Best of... Sting & the Police

Fields of Gold

Fields of Gold