Sting & His Superstar Journey

With his sleek and ever trendy image, it can be quite hard to believe Sting’s real age. His career and the transformation are equally surprising - from a small-town boy living next to a shipyard to a global celebrity with significant influence. Sting’s life story is full of exploration, daring expression and determination to improve as many people’s lives as possible.

Childhood and His First Encounter with Music

Born on 2 October 1951 as Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, Sting grew up in Wallsend, a town in NorthEast England. His childhood was associated with the shipyard, which was located not far from his home and once the most prominent symbol of this town. His grandfather had worked as a shipwright. The shipyard at Wallsend used to be one of main shipbuilding and repairing centres in the United Kingdom, constructing battleships for the British navy.

Despite significant influence from the shipyard during his childhood days, Sting did not see himself to be working in the shipyard. A guitar that was given to Sting when he was eight provided him not just a form of entertainment, but also a direction for his future, motivating him to embark on a musical journey towards stardom and global influence.

From Gordon to Sting

Sting had his education in the nearby city of Newcastle and eventually graduated from a local college. Sting became a teacher for about two years. Meanwhile, he started to make appearances in the local music scene, performing for bands such as the Newcastle Big Band, the Phoenix Jazzmen and Last Exit.

During one of Sting’s performances in Newcastle, the bandleader from the Phoenix Jazzmen took note of his black-and-yellow striped sweater and thought he looked like a bee. As such, the bandleader called him “Sting”, which the young Gordon soon adopted as his stage name.

As time passed by, Sting’s stage name gradually replaced his real name as his primary identity. Therefore, it is not surprising to have Sting occasionally ignoring anyone who is calling him by his real name.