Been a fan since: Birth. No, really. It just took me 13 years to find him after I got born :D
Favourite Sting song: One? Only one? Really?? 'Fragile'.
Favourite Police song: 'So Lonely'.
Favourite Sting album: 'Brand New Day'.
Favourite Police album: 'Zenyatta Mondatta'.
Most memorable concert: Not a concert, but an event: I was able to attend "Twin Spirits" in NYC several years ago. I was pregnant at the time with my daughter Piper. Sting placed his hands on my belly for a baby blessing. And wouldn't you know, she has a beautiful singing voice. Thanks, Uncle Sting ;)
Other favourite bands: Loreena McKennitt, Peter Gabriel, Switchfoot, Dead Can Dance, Belle & Sebastian, Bon Iver, the Corrs, Lady Gaga, Dave Matthews Band, Chris Botti... so, so much great music out there.
In your own words: The inspiration Sting has given me throughout my life cannot be overstated. His music has been a constant in a world full of changes. His lyrics, his music, his activism - he inspires me to be a better person and to pursue my dreams. His songs always bring me to the place I need to be and bring everything into perspective. He helps me think outside of the box and question the norm.
My evolution as a fan has been very fun and interesting... when I was 13, it was all about that brooding man with the candles in the 'Wrapped Around your Finger' video. When I was 15, it was all about 'Moon Over Bourbon Street' and reading Interview With The Vampire which led me to become an avid Anne Rice fan (to this day!). At 18, it was 'Be Still My Beating Heart' and wrestling with awareness of self in relation to the world around me. At 21, it was 'Island of Souls' and being far away from my family for the first time ever... identifying with the loneliness I felt coming through 'Soul Cages'. That was also when I saw Sting live for the first time- the first of many illicit excursions to the front row, where I stood and cried at the magnitude of seeing my Sting for the first time before getting sent back to my seat where I belonged!
At 27, it was 'If I Ever Lose My Faith' and being too broke and pregnant to see him in concert that summer... but never losing faith.
At 29, along came 'Brand New Day' which was kind of life changing for me. 'Desert Rose' + bellydancing = deciding it was time to meet Sting and dancing onstage with him a whole bunch of times. That being a catalyst to major positive life changes and new realizations.
At 32, 'Sacred Love'. I had moved to the NYC area and NYC post-9/11 was a changed world. Sting caught it with his music and I'll forever associate that time of my life with that album.
The past 10 years have been a blur of special Sting related events: From Twin Spirits to Rainforest Foundation events to the launch of the 25 years app at the Apple Store to auditioning for "the Last Ship" to the "We Are Family" honors gala ... what can I say? Truly, Sting is, has been and God willing, will continue to be a part of my life. I'm very grateful. My respect for him is immeasurable. I'm so grateful for the heart, soul and mind-opening journey he's shared with me even though he'll probably never know.
Eliot Sumner will join the Sting 3.0 Tour for the show on October 16 at Hard Rock Live in Rockford, IL. Tickets are available from https://sting.com/pages/tour
At the recent 2026 BMI London Awards four Sting written songs were among the works recognised for hitting milestones relating to the number of performances in the US. These were 'Every Little Thing...
