British rock artist/actor Sting came into the world as Gordon Sumner, earning his more famous soubriquet thanks to his predilection for wearing beelike striped shirts. At 17, Sting toured the world as a musical performer on the Princess Cruise luxury-vacation line. He attended Warwick University, then made ends meet as a teacher, income tax clerk, and construction worker before achieving fame as lead singer of the rock group The Police. Following the 1977 release of the Police's inaugural recording Fall Out, Sting was approached by the producers of the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only to costar as the megalomaniac villain. He refused, choosing instead to make his film bow in the more characteristic role of a teen punk in Quadrophrenia (1979). One of his more impressive film appearances was as the enigmatic antihero of the pitch-black comedy Brimstone and Treacle (1982). While filmmaking remains a lucrative sideline for Sting -- his feature films include Dune (1984), The Bride (1985), and Bring on the Night (1986) -- he continues to invest most of his energy into music, winning seven Grammies for his recording work.
by Hal Erickson
biography
