ERAs podcast on BBC Sounds tells the story of and celebrates Sting

The latest series of ERAs on BBC Sounds is presented by Radio 2’s Vernon Kay and features Sting.

This comes ahead of his headline performance at Radio 2 in the Park on Saturday 7 September. ERAs: Sting is a five-part series in celebration of the storyteller, activist and superstar musician.

Through rare BBC Archive, including interviews with Annie Nightingale, Lulu, Jo Whiley and Sara Cox, and new interviews with friends, fans and collaborators, including Jools Holland, Shaggy, Bob Harris, Jeremy Vine, Mark King, Shaun Keaveny and Guy Garvey, it tells of the talent that took Sting to sold-out stadiums across the globe and beyond.

The first episode features the stories and the music that shaped Sting’s early life, from Wallsend to Punk-era London, where a phone call changed his destiny forever.

Episode two follows The Police from the start to their world-dominating peak, where in five years, they produced some defining hits of a generation.

In the third episode, following the band’s split, Vernon follows the first stages in Sting’s solo career which has now spanned four decades.

The final episode sees Vernon finding Sting in a place in which inspiration is everything. Whether it’s a lute album, a turn on Broadway, traditional folk or reggae, Sting refuses to be pinned down.

ERAs: Sting is available on BBC Sounds now.