Whoa! Did you hear about this? Sting has been sued by his old The Police bandmates!
According to The Sun, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland are suing the frontman for “substantial” damages over lost royalties. A source told the paper, “This has been coming for quite some time. Lawyers tried to reach a settlement but hit a stalemate. Andy and Stewart say they’re owed millions, so now it’s headed to court”.
The case is reportedly listed at London’s High Court under “general commercial contracts and arrangements”, with Sting named as a defendant alongside his company, Magnetic Publishing Limited.
Of course, the money talk immediately brings up Every Breath You Take. The 1983 single (from the band’s final album Synchronicity) was the best-selling track of that year, one of the biggest of the decade, and still earns Sting a reported £550,000 annually in royalties. But a spokesperson for Sting insists the lawsuit has nothing to do with that song.
The Police first formed in 1977, disbanded in the mid-’80s, and have reunited a handful of times since; the last being a massive tour in 2007–08. Ironically, Sting later called that reunion “an exercise in nostalgia”, saying he prefers the “total freedom” of working solo.
And solo has been good to him. Sting headlined Isle Of Wight and Latitude this year, and his Sting 3.0 tour hits London this autumn. Meanwhile, The Police recently popped up on TikTok to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Synchronicity.
Still, looks like some old ghosts refuse to stay buried. Time will tell what will come of all this…
