Christopher Sandford

Touted by fans for his charisma and scorned by critics for his egomania, Sting is one of the most commercially successful and most controversial rock artists performing today. A schoolteacher from Newcastle, Sting soared to international fame and the top of the seventies rock charts with The Police, one of the most popular bands on the planet. After the band folded, he emerged as a solo start with hit singles, critically acclaimed albums, worldwide sell-out tours, and a host of Grammys, not to mention raves for his work in film and on Broadway. Yet Sting's career has been turbulent-an accomplished jazz bassist and vastly talented musician, he has been charged with playing punk and reggae for careerist convenience. He has been accused of single-handedly breaking up The Police at the peak of its rock band powers. And his much publicized work on behalf of Amnesty International and the Brazilian rainforests has been equally admired and disdained. In this updated edition of the first full-length biography of Sting, Christopher Sandford examines the substance behind the cliche, the creative disagreements--and physical violence--among The Police; the musical intelligence that produced such albums as Nothing Like the Sun and Ten Summoner's Tales; Sting's ecological campaigning and financial dealings; and his numerous sexual entanglements. Here is Sting, the legend, the man, the political activist, the performer who continues to fascinate the world.

Touted by fans for his charisma and scorned by critics for his egomania, Sting is one of the most commercially successful and most controversial rock artists performing today. A schoolteacher from Newcastle, Sting soared to international fame and the top of the seventies rock charts with The Police, one of the most popular bands on the planet. After the band folded, he emerged as a solo start with hit singles, critically acclaimed albums, worldwide sell-out tours, and a host of Grammys, not to mention raves for his work in film and on Broadway. Yet Sting's career has been turbulent-an accomplished jazz bassist and vastly talented musician, he has been charged with playing punk and reggae for careerist convenience. He has been accused of single-handedly breaking up The Police at the peak of its rock band powers. And his much publicized work on behalf of Amnesty International and the Brazilian rainforests has been equally admired and disdained. In this updated edition of the first full-length biography of Sting, Christopher Sandford examines the substance behind the cliche, the creative disagreements--and physical violence--among The Police; the musical intelligence that produced such albums as Nothing Like the Sun and Ten Summoner's Tales; Sting's ecological campaigning and financial dealings; and his numerous sexual entanglements. Here is Sting, the legend, the man, the political activist, the performer who continues to fascinate the world.