Earlier today (2.10) Universal Music Publishing Group announced the acquisition of 17-time Grammy Award winner Sting’s career catalog of music.
Rumored to be worth 220 million pounds sterling, this historic, comprehensive worldwide agreement for the catalog of one of the most commercially successful and critically-acclaimed songwriters of the last half-century encompasses the entirety of both Sting’s solo works as well as those with The Police, including “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Shape Of My Heart,” “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You,” “Fields Of Gold,” “Desert Rose,” “Message in a Bottle,” “Englishman in New York” and “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.”
Selling more than 100 million albums throughout his career and creating some of the most recognizable pop songs in recent decades, the British-born composer, singer-songwriter, actor, author, and activist was the co-founder, frontman and bassist of The Police, alongside Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. The Police released five studio albums between 1978 – 1983, winning six Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards, and the band was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
As a solo artist, Sting (born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner) has released fifteen studio albums between 1985 and 2021 and has won 11 Grammy Awards for his solo works, three Brit Awards, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002 and was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000.
About the sale, Sting said, “I am delighted to have Jody and the team at UMPG curate and manage my song catalog. It is absolutely essential to me that my career’s body of work have a home where it is valued and respected – not only to connect with longtime fans in new ways but also to introduce my songs to new audiences, musicians and generations. Throughout my career, I have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with UMG as my label partner, under the watchful guidance of Lucian, so it felt natural to unite everything in one trusted home, as I return to the studio, ready for the next chapter.”
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Yancho Sabev