Stewart Copeland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stewart Copeland
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Copeland performing in July 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stewart Armstrong Copeland |
| Also known as | Klark Kent |
| Born | July 16, 1952 Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1974–present |
| YouTube information | |
| Genre | Drumming |
| Subscribers | 102k |
| Total views | 13,963,543 |
Stewart Armstrong Copeland (born July 16, 1952) is an American musician and composer. He is most famous as the drummer for the British rock band The Police. He played with them from 1977 to 1986, and again from 2007 to 2008. Before joining The Police, he was a drummer for the English rock band Curved Air from 1975 to 1976.
Stewart Copeland is also a talented composer. He has written music for many films, like Wall Street and Good Burger. He also created theme songs for TV shows such as The Equalizer and The Amanda Show. Video game fans might know his music from the Spyro series. He has even composed pieces for ballet, opera, and orchestras.
Many people think Copeland is one of the best drummers ever. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him as the 10th best drummer of all time in 2016. He was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with The Police in 2003.
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Stewart Copeland's Early Life
Stewart Copeland was born in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 16, 1952. He was the youngest of four children. His mother, Lorraine Copeland, was a Scottish archaeologist. His father, Miles Copeland Jr., was American. Stewart's father worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). His mother also worked in intelligence for Britain during World War II.
When Stewart was a baby, his family moved to Cairo, Egypt. When he was five, they moved to Beirut, Lebanon. He went to the American Community School there. He started drum lessons at age 12. Within a year, he was playing drums for school dances! Later, he moved to England for high school. He then went to college in California.
Stewart's oldest brother, Miles Copeland III, started I.R.S. Records. He also became the manager for The Police. His other brother, Ian Copeland, was a booking agent who helped many bands, including The Police.
Stewart Copeland's Music Career
Playing with Curved Air (1975–1976)
After college, Stewart returned to England. He first worked as a road manager for the band Curved Air. Then, he became their drummer in 1975 and 1976. The band had a tough start on their European tour. But soon, the musicians connected, and they became a popular live band.
Eventually, Curved Air broke up. Stewart then formed The Police. He stayed close with Curved Air's singer, Sonja Kristina. They later got married in 1982.
Drumming with The Police (1977–1986)
In early 1977, Copeland started The Police. The band included lead singer and bassist Sting and guitarist Henry Padovani. Henry was soon replaced by Andy Summers. The Police quickly became one of the biggest bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Stewart was the youngest member of the group.
In the beginning, many of The Police's songs were written by Stewart. This included their first single, "Fall Out". As Sting started writing more, Stewart still helped arrange all the band's songs with his bandmates. Some of Stewart's well-known songs include "On Any Other Day" (where he also sang) and "Does Everyone Stare". He also co-wrote songs with Sting, like "Peanuts".
Stewart also released music under the name Klark Kent. He played all the instruments and sang on these songs himself. One of his Klark Kent songs, "Don't Care", even entered the UK music charts in 1978.
In 1982, Stewart helped create a benefit album called Music and Rhythm. His music for the film Rumble Fish earned him a Golden Globe nomination in 1983. He also collaborated with singer-songwriter Stan Ridgway on the song "Don't Box Me In" for the film.
In 1985, Stewart released The Rhythmatist. This album came from his trip to Africa. It features local drums and percussion. The album was the soundtrack for a movie where Stewart is seen playing drums in a cage surrounded by lions! The Police tried to reunite in 1986, but it didn't work out then.
Solo Work and Movie Music (1987–1998)
After The Police broke up, Stewart became a busy composer. He wrote music for many movies, including Wall Street and Good Burger. He also composed for TV shows like The Equalizer and The Amanda Show. He even wrote music for operas and ballets.
Stewart also played drums for other artists. He played on Peter Gabriel's song "Red Rain" and worked with Mike Rutherford. In 1989, he formed the band Animal Logic with jazz bassist Stanley Clarke and singer Deborah Holland. They had success with their first album.
Music for Spyro the Dragon Games
In 1998, Stewart was asked to create the music for the popular PlayStation game Spyro the Dragon. He played through the game levels first to get a feel for each one before writing the music. He also composed music for the next Spyro games: Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. He returned to compose a new theme for the Spyro Reignited Trilogy in 2018.
Stewart also wrote the music for the video game Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare. In 2000, he formed the band Oysterhead with Les Claypool and Trey Anastasio.
Collaborations and Projects (2002–2006)
In 2005, Stewart released "Orchestralli," a live recording of music he composed. He also started a new project called Gizmodrome. In 2006, he released his film about The Police, called Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out. He also appeared as a judge on the BBC TV show Just the Two of Us.
The Police Reunion (2007–2008)
At the 2007 Grammy Awards, Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers, and Sting performed "Roxanne" together. This was their first public performance as The Police since 1986! The next day, they announced a reunion tour to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary.
During the tour, Stewart also released a collection of his solo work called The Stewart Copeland Anthology. The French government honored Stewart and his bandmates by making them Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. The Police played 151 shows around the world, ending their tour in August 2008 in New York.
New Projects (Since 2008)
Since 2008, Stewart has continued to create new music. He wrote a "soundtrack" for the BlackBerry Bold smartphone, including ringtones. In 2008, he presented his orchestral piece "Celeste" at a music festival. He also wrote "Gamelan D'Drum," a percussion piece using Indonesian instruments.
In 2009, Stewart wrote the music for a live show of Ben-Hur. He also released his book, Strange Things Happen: A Life with The Police, Polo, and Pygmies. This book shares stories from his childhood to his time with The Police and beyond.
In 2011, Stewart started a YouTube channel. He uploads videos of himself playing with other musicians in his home studio, which he calls the Sacred Grove. In 2017, he formed another supergroup called Gizmodrome with Adrian Belew, Vittorio Cosma, and Mark King.
In 2021, Stewart worked with Ricky Kej on an album called Divine Tides. This album won Stewart his sixth Grammy Award in 2022. In 2023, Divine Tides won him his seventh Grammy Award!
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In 2021, an opera called Electric Saint about Nikola Tesla, with music by Stewart, premiered in Germany. In 2022, he became a Visiting Scholar at McGill University. He worked with Dr. Daniel J. Levitin on a chapter about timing and rhythm in music.
Stewart Copeland's Personal Life
Stewart Copeland was married to Curved Air singer Sonja Kristina from 1982 to 1991. He adopted her son, and they had two sons together. He also has another son from a different relationship. Stewart now lives in Los Angeles with his second wife and their three children.
Stewart enjoys rollerskating, cycling, making films, and playing polo. He is also very active on his YouTube channel, sharing videos of jam sessions in his studio.
Stewart Copeland's Drumming Style
Stewart Copeland grew up listening to many types of music, including Lebanese music, rock and roll, jazz, and reggae. He took ideas from these styles to create his own unique sound. In the 1980s, he added Octobans to his drum kit. These are eight small, narrow drums. He also helped Paiste design a special splash cymbal based on a toy he owned. He used his 13-inch hi-hats a lot.
Even though Stewart is left-handed, he plays a right-handed drum kit. This means his hi-hats are on his left side, and his ride cymbal and floor toms are on his right. He uses a wide range of sounds in his drumming. He is known for his jazz-style drumming on the snare drum, mixing strong beats with soft sounds. With The Police, he often used only the hi-hat with the bass drum to keep the beat.
Stewart has named some of his favorite drummers. These include Mitch Mitchell from The Jimi Hendrix Experience, John Bonham, Buddy Rich, Ringo Starr, and Ginger Baker.
Stewart Copeland's Equipment
Stewart Copeland uses Tama drums, Paiste cymbals, Remo drum heads, and Vater signature drum sticks.
Original Live Kit (1984)
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The Police Reunion Tour Kit (2007–2008)
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Discography (Albums)
- 1980: Klark Kent: Music Madness from the Kinetic Kid (as Klark Kent)
- 1985: The Rhythmatist
- 1988: The Equalizer and Other Cliff Hangers
- 1995: Kollected Works (as Klark Kent)
- 2003: La Notte della Taranta (Live in Melpignano 17.08.2003)
- 2005: Orchestralli (live album)
- 2007: The Stewart Copeland Anthology (compilation)
- 2009: Music From Ben Hur Live
- 2023: Police Deranged for Orchestra
- 2023: Klark Kent Deluxe Edition (as Klark Kent)
Albums with Curved Air
- 1975: Midnight Wire
- 1976: Airborne
Albums with The Police
- Outlandos d'Amour (1978)
- Reggatta de Blanc (1979)
- Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)
- Ghost in the Machine (1981)
- Synchronicity (1983)
Collaboration Albums
- 1977: Strontium 90: Police Academy by Strontium 90
- 1982: Acting Very Strange by Mike Rutherford
- 1986: So by Peter Gabriel
- 1989: Animal Logic by Animal Logic
- 1991: Animal Logic II by Animal Logic
- 2001: The Grand Pecking Order by Oysterhead
- 2017: Gizmodrome by Gizmodrome
- 2021: Divine Tides with Ricky Kej
Images for kids
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Copeland performing in July 2007
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Copeland performing with the Police in 1979
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Copeland performing in 2006
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Copeland performing in 2022
In Spanish: Stewart Copeland para niños
- List of drummers
- Membranophone (list of drums)
