Composer, singer, actor, activist – Sting has won universal acclaim in all these roles, but he defies any easy labeling. He_s best described as an adventurer, a risk-taker. As he himself said, “I love to put myself in new situations. I_m not afraid to be a beginner.” Husband and father of six, masterful guitarist and bassist, a devoted Yoga practitioner, and now a writer who_ll publish his memoirs in 2004, he_s made a career, in fact, of new beginnings.
His latest CD, .AAll this Time, recorded near his home in Tuscany and the first live album Sting has released in 15 years, marked yet another beginning. Transforming classics from his solo and Police careers, as well as highlights from his most recent album, Brand New Day, the 2.5 million-selling masterwork finds Sting rediscovering his own music, the songs that form part of the soundtrack of our lives. In addition to this stunning live recording, Sting has put in other landmark concert appearances of late. Hiis performing with renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics echoed the excitement at last year_s Super Bowl half-time show and his Central Park concert in New York City the year before. Hi
Sting_s support for human rights organizations like Amnesty International and the Rainforest Foundation mirrors his art in its universal outreach. Last year, from the Arab-American Institute Foundation he received the Kahlil Giibran Spirit of Humanity Award for his “efforts to promote cross-cultural understanding,” particularly through his duet with Algerian superstar Cheb Mami, Brand New Day’s Desert Rose.
Crossing cultural lines, cutting through the barriers between “high” and “pop” art, has been a Sting hallmark ever since his own beginnings. A milkman_s son from Newcastle, England, Sting was a teacher, soccer coach and ditch digger before turning to music. Inspired equally by jazz and the Beatles – eclectic tastes that would prove prophetic –
Add to those honors the 16 Grammy Awards he_s won in a career full of staggering statistics. Statistics that include the fact that his song, Every Breath You Take, has been played on American radio nearly seven million times!
Currently Sting can be found at home enjoying some family time, but never one to be idle long, expect a new album in the not too distant future.