To be clear as to whom I am addressing, this open letter is intended for Mr. Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner of Wallsend, England. As this is intended to be an open letter, and having no connection to or association with Mr. Sumner, anyone is free to read this. It is simply my hope that this message reaches him. A response would be lovely of course, but a simple conveyance of these words and the sentiment they contain would certainly be enough.
Please forgive me for any time that this takes from whatever you are doing or could have been doing. Time is such a precious thing to us all, and I have no mind to waste any more of yours than the reading of this would take. My name is Christopher McKinney (Chris is much preferred lest I be in some sort of trouble or dealing with some government paperwork) and like so many others, your music has touched me profoundly. As a musician, singer, writer, but most of all, as a human being. I will spare you lists of all my favorite songs and the reasons why. The simple point here is that your music has not only inspired my own musical journey in countless ways, but your creations helped give a background for life experiences and associated feelings. Your music also helped give an understandable context to complicated emotions and feelings.
I love your songs and what they mean for you. By that, I mean that I can appreciate what your inspirations for them were, and for whatever catharsis they may have offered you on the personal. However, they mean what the mean to me from my own experiences and feelings that became connected with them, which probably bears little commonality with what they mean to you, but that is the beauty of music, is it not? It becomes a personal connection to all whom they affect and in turn becomes part of their life. It is in this way that I feel a deep connection to you and your expressions in these songs. To be clear, this is on more of a spiritual connection. I am still your perfect stranger and have no desire to interfere in your personal life in any way. I understand many people have similar feelings, even if they end up just boiling it down to, “Love your music Sting!”
I am happy to channel many of those same sentiments. You are one of my favorite bass players of all time. You are easily one of my favorite singers of all time. Your albums are some of my favorites. Sting the great musician and songwriter is certainly a hero of mine. But Sting the human being is not overlooked in all of this. I can’t listen to The Soul Cages without hurting for you, and reflecting on my own feelings of mortality and the people I have lost. No matter if you are just telling stories, finding ways to relate the human experience, or or simply echoing the sentiments of your own heart in a poetic way, thank you for everything you do. It really does mean something. Not your fame, success, accolades, or any social metric. You have connected to a great many people and given us a gift that transcends our differences, situations, and understanding. I can only offer my most sincere appreciation and respect. With that sentiment of respect, I will now return to my own story.
PS – If you were curious at all, my favorite songs might surprise you, especially coming from a drummer. Ghost Story, A Thousand Years, and Fortress Around Your Heart. Honorable mentions, Something The Boy Said and Mad About You. Dominic Miller is solid gold. So glad you guys connected when you did. Bravo to both of you. Cheers!