Throughout his long career, Sting, one of the greatest rock giants of all time—has inspired countless people, including other well-known figures in the music business.
Annie Lennox, a Scottish singer-songwriter best known for her roles in bands like The Tourists and Eurythmics, is one of his biggest admirers. The celebrity made the decision to unexpectedly display her admiration for Sting at the 2017 Polar Music Prize Banquet. She went up on stage and gave a spectacular rendition of one of his songs!
The Polar Music Prize Banquet Awards ceremony took place in Stockholm, Sweden. He was privileged to be named a 2017 Laureate. To pull off the surprise, Lennox had concealed himself in the hallways, avoiding Sting at all costs!
Lennox, who was sitting among the audience, was nearly shy when she introduced herself and spoke to Sting immediately across the room from her piano. We’re not shocked at all having a chat with a rock legend must be somewhat intimidating!
She let Sting know how inspiring he was to her. She said, “You know, I’ve been a really sincere fan of your music for decades. This is such a privilege. I love you very, very much, and I love your music even more.”
She opened with the first notes of one of Sting’s greatest singles, “Fragile,” from his Grammy Award-winning album, “Nothing Like The Sun,” to the audience’s applause.
The song is typically performed in a soft rock way, but Lennox gave it a whole new meaning and made it uniquely her own. She gave the song an uncanny gloom by vocalizing the lyrics while using her piano as the only accompaniment.
Lennox’s sound is quite unique. She rose to fame in the 1970s with classics like “Why” and “No More ‘I Love You’s,” two power ballads that best showcase her incredible vocal ability.
She played the piano flawlessly and sang beautifully, holding the audience in spellbinding quiet. Sting appeared moved by Lennox’s interpretation of his song as he observed the performance intently. When he stood to give Lennox a standing ovation at the end of the show, tears were in his eyes. The audience applauded and cheered along with her.
Ever modest, Lennox got up from her chair and murmured, “I tried,” into the microphone. In response, Sting put his palm to his heart and silently said, “Thank you.” Not just Lennox paid tribute to Sting that evening, though. José Feliciano, a Latin pop-rock performer, played an acoustic rendition of “Every Breath You Take,” one of The Police’s most well-known songs, while The Tallest Man on Earth covered “Roxanne,” another one of the band’s hits.
We assume Sting felt appropriately spoilt by the end of the night after all that attention!
It was still well worth it. Having been a musician for almost half a century, Sting is a legendary figure in his own right. In addition to winning numerous Brit Awards and 17 Grammy Awards, he was honored with a star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame for recording in 2002. Heave hooray!
We have little doubt that Lennox’s moving rendition of one of his biggest hits stunned Sting. Check out the video and give it a listen!