Stewart Copeland#Later career

Copeland was born in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 16, 1952,{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/01/26/DI2006012601460_pf.html|title=Film: "Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out"|website=Washingtonpost.com|date=January 26, 2006|access-date=May 24, 2015|quote=Stewart Copeland: I was born in Alexandria (Va., not Egypt).}}{{cite web|publisher=The Stewart Copeland Official Site|title=Biography: Early days, the Middle East, the music biz, & Curved Air|url=http://www.stewartcopeland.net/bio/bio08.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921172047/http://www.stewartcopeland.net/bio/bio08.html|archive-date=September 21, 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=May 24, 2015|quote=Stewart Copeland was born on July 16, 1952, in Alexandria, Virginia, in the United States, but soon after moved with his family to Beirut, Lebanon. In this Middle Eastern city on the Mediterranean, Stewart grew up...}} the youngest of four children of Scottish archaeologist Lorraine Copeland (née Adie; 1921–2013) and American diplomat{{Cite web |last=Pukas |first=Anna |date=2014-05-27 |title=I wish I'd been nicer to Sting: Stewart Copeland talks about life after The Police |url=https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/478413/Stewart-Copeland-talks-about-life-after-The-Police |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en}} Miles Copeland Jr. (1916–1991). His mother was born in Edinburgh, while his father was from Alabama. His father was, according to his own 1989 biography{{cite book|last1=Copeland|first1=Miles|author-link1=Miles Copeland, Jr.|title=The game player: the confessions of the CIA's original political operative|date=1989|publisher=Aurum Press|location=London|isbn=0948149876|oclc=21874352|quote=Later, I was one of the 200 employees who were on the original list of career members when the CIA became official in July 1974.}} and files released by the CIA in 2008,{{cite news|title=Celebrity spies revealed – new details of Julia Child's pre-chef career released |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/aug/14/usa|access-date=July 13, 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|last=Schor|first=Elana|date=August 14, 2008|quote=[Julia Child's] fellow spies included professional baseball player Moe Berg, US supreme court justice Arthur Goldberg and Miles Copeland, the father of The Police drummer Stewart Copeland.}} a key intelligence operative in Britain during the Second World War and a founding member of the Central Intelligence Agency. Stewart's mother was also an espionage veteran, serving in the British Special Operations Executive.

Miles Copeland was assigned CIA duties in the Middle East and the family moved to Cairo a few months after Stewart's birth. When Stewart was five years old the family moved to Beirut,{{cite news|last1=Pukas|first1=Anna|title=I wish I'd been nicer to Sting: Stewart Copeland talks about life after The Police|url=https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/478413/Stewart-Copeland-talks-about-life-after-The-Police|access-date=July 13, 2017|work=The Daily Express|date=May 27, 2014|location=London, UK|language=en}} where he attended the American Community School. He started taking drumming lessons at age 12 and was playing drums for school dances within a year. He later moved to England, attending the American School in London and Millfield boarding school in Somerset from 1967 to 1969. He went to college in California, enrolling at Alliant International University and the University of California, Berkeley. His eldest brother, Miles Copeland III (born 1944), founded I.R.S. Records and became the Police's manager. He has also overseen Copeland's interests in other music projects. His other brother, Ian Copeland (1949–2006), was a pioneering booking agent who represented the Police and many others.

Returning to England, Copeland worked as road manager for the progressive rock band Curved Air's 1974 reunion tour, and then as drummer for the band during 1975 and 1976. The band kicked off with a European tour, which started poorly. Band leader Darryl Way, a notorious perfectionist,Welch, Chris (1973). In Canis Lupus [sleeve notes]. grew impatient with the struggling of his bandmates, especially novice drummer Copeland.Sutcliffe, Phil & Fielder, Hugh (1981). L'Historia Bandido. London and New York: Proteus Books. {{ISBN|0-906071-66-6}}. Pages 15–16. Then, for reasons no one could pinpoint, the musicians suddenly "clicked" with each other and the band caught fire, quickly becoming a popular and acclaimed live act.

Eventually, Way left the band and after months of gradually losing steam, Curved Air broke up so quietly that, by singer Sonja Kristina's recollections, most of the music press wrote off the band's absence as a "sabbatical". Copeland formed the Police and Kristina and Way both pursued solo careers. Kristina and Copeland maintained the close personal relationship they'd formed while bandmates and were married in 1982.

{{Main|The Police}}

File:Stewart Copeland Atlanta 2.jpg

In early 1977, Copeland founded the Police with lead singer-bass guitarist Sting and guitarist Henry Padovani (who was soon replaced by Andy Summers), and they became one of the top bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Copeland was the youngest member of the band. The Police's early track list (before their album debut) was largely Copeland compositions, including the band's first single "Fall Out" (Illegal Records, 1977) and the B-side "Nothing Achieving". Though Copeland's songwriting contribution was reduced to a couple of songs per album as Sting started writing more material, he continued to co-arrange all the Police's songs together with his two bandmates. Amongst Copeland's most notable songs are "On Any Other Day" (where he also sang lead vocals), "Does Everyone Stare" (later to be used as the title of his documentary on the band Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out), "Contact", "Bombs Away", "Darkness" and "Miss Gradenko". Copeland also co-wrote a number of songs with Sting, including "Peanuts", "Landlord", "It's Alright for You" and "Re-Humanize Yourself".

Copeland also recorded under the pseudonym Klark Kent, releasing several UK singles in 1978 with one ("Don't Care") entering the UK Singles Chart that year, along with an eponymous 10-inch album on green vinyl released in 1980. Recording at Nigel Gray's Surrey Sound Studios, Copeland played all the instruments and sang the lead vocals himself. Kent's "Don't Care", which peaked at No. 48 UK in August 1978, actually predates the first chart single by the Police by several months ("Can't Stand Losing You", issued in October 1978) as "Don't Care" was released in early June 1978.

In 1982, Copeland was involved in the production of a WOMAD benefit album called Music and Rhythm. Copeland's score for Rumble Fish secured him a Golden Globe nomination in 1983. The film, directed and produced by Francis Ford Coppola from the S. E. Hinton novel, also had a song released to radio on A&M Records "Don't Box Me In" (UK Singles Chart n. 91)—a collaboration between Copeland and singer-songwriter Stan Ridgway, leader of the band Wall of Voodoo—that received significant airplay upon release of the film that year.

The Rhythmatist record of 1985 was the result of a pilgrimage to Africa and its people, and it features local drums and percussion, with more drums, percussion, other musical instruments and occasional lead vocals added by Copeland. The album was the official soundtrack to the movie of the same name, which was co-written by Stewart. Copeland is seen in the film playing the drums in a cage with lions surrounding him.

The Police attempted a reunion in 1986, but the project fell apart.{{cite web|title=Don't Stand So Close To Me '86, 12" by The Police – Music and Lyrics|url=http://www.thepolice.com/discography/album/dont-stand-so-close-me-86-12-23561|website=The Police Official Website|access-date=July 13, 2017|language=en|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524204301/http://www.thepolice.com/discography/album/dont-stand-so-close-me-86-12-23561|archive-date=May 24, 2015}}

After the Police disbanded, Copeland established a career composing soundtracks for movies (Airborne, Talk Radio, Wall Street, Riff Raff, Raining Stones, Surviving the Game, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Highlander II: The Quickening, She's Having a Baby, The First Power, Fresh, Taking Care of Business, West Beirut, I am David, Riding the Bus with My Sister, Good Burger), television (The Equalizer, Dead Like Me, Star Wars: Droids, the pilot for Babylon 5 (1993), Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee), operas (Holy Blood and Crescent Moon, commissioned by Cleveland Opera) and ballets (Prey' Ballet Oklahoma, Casque of Amontillado, Noah's Ark/Solcheeka, commissioned by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, King Lear, commissioned by the San Francisco Ballet Company, Emilio).{{cite web|url=http://www.stewartcopeland.net/discography/discography04.html|title=Stewart Copeland|website=Stewartcopeland.net|access-date=January 18, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117231657/http://www.stewartcopeland.net/discography/discography04.html|archive-date=November 17, 2014}} In 1996, Copeland provided the score for The Leopard Son, Discovery Channel's first commercially released full-length feature film, made by wildlife filmmaker Hugo van Lawick.{{cite web | title='The Leopard Son' from the Discovery Channel: From the Theatre to Cable|first=Timothy |last=Lyons | website=International Documentary Association | date=October 1, 1996 | url=https://www.documentary.org/feature/leopard-son-discovery-channel-theatre-cable | access-date=April 30, 2021| quote=On September 27th, in movie theatres across the country, Discovery Channel Pictures opened its first commercially-released full-length 35mm feature film, The Leopard Son.}}

Copeland also occasionally played drums for other artists. Peter Gabriel employed Copeland to perform on his song "Red Rain" from his 1986 album So because of his "hi-hat mastery". He has also performed with Mike Rutherford and Tom Waits. That year he also teamed with Adam Ant to record the title track and video for the Anthony Michael Hall movie Out of Bounds. In 1989, Copeland formed Animal Logic with jazz bassist Stanley Clarke and singer-songwriter Deborah Holland. The trio had success with their first album and world tour but break up as the members wanted to pursue other projects.{{cite web |title=Stewart Copeland and Stanley Clarke Reunite Animal Logic After 31 Years |url=https://bassmagazine.com/stewart-copeland-and-stanley-clarke-reunite-animal-logic-after-31-years/ |website=Bass Magazine |access-date=18 April 2025 |date=20 October 2022}}

In 1993 he composed the music for Channel 4's Horse Opera and director Bob Baldwin, and in 1999, he provided the voice of an additional American soldier in the animated musical comedy war film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999).{{cite web |title=American Soldiers |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/movies/South-Park-Bigger-Longer-and-Uncut/American-Soldiers/ |website=Behind The Voice Actors |access-date=18 April 2025}}

{{see also|Spyro (series)#Music}}

He was commissioned by Insomniac Games in 1998 to make the musical score for the hit PlayStation game Spyro the Dragon.{{cite web |last1=Bennett |first1=Tara |title=LEGENDARY MUSICIAN STEWART COPELAND REVISITS HIS CLASSIC VIDEO GAME SCORE FOR THE SPYRO REIGNITED TRILOGY |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/stewart-copeland-revisits-spyro-the-dragon-score |website=Syfy.com |date=November 2018 |access-date=November 2, 2018 |archive-date=November 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181101232228/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/stewart-copeland-revisits-spyro-the-dragon-score |url-status=dead }} Copeland would play through the levels first to get a feel for each one before composing the soundtrack. He also stayed with the project to create the musical scores for the remaining Insomniac sequels Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. The franchise shifted over to Universal for the fourth title,{{cite news|title=Universal Announces Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/02/19/universal-announces-spyro-enter-the-dragonfly|access-date=July 13, 2017|work=IGN|date=February 19, 2002}} Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly, which would be Copeland's last outing with the series. While the soundtracks never saw commercial release, the limited edition of the fourth game came packaged with a bonus CD, containing unused tracks.{{cite web|title=C7164710 {{!}} Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly Official Soundtrack|url=http://vgmdb.net/album/1400|website=VGMdb.net|access-date=July 13, 2017|language=en|quote=This CD was included in limited-edition game packages of "Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly" for Playstation 2}} The soundtracks were very well received,{{cite web|title=Game Music Review: Spyro the Dragon II – Ripto's Rage (PSX Rip)|url=http://www.rpgamers.net/reviews/music/9/spyro-the-dragon-ii-ripto-s-rage-psx-rip|website=RPGamers Network|access-date=July 13, 2017|language=en|quote=…this soundtrack is great, highly effective for the game, and an all-around joy to listen to.}} and one track would later appear on the 2007 compilation album The Stewart Copeland Anthology. Copeland composed a new title theme for Spyro Reignited Trilogy.{{cite magazine |last=Fogel |first=Stefanie |date=July 19, 2018 |title=The Police's Copeland Composes New 'Spyro' Main Theme |url=https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/spyro-reignited-trilogy-stewart-copeland-1202878360/ |magazine=Variety |access-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720005315/https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/spyro-reignited-trilogy-stewart-copeland-1202878360/ |url-status=live}}

This period also saw Copeland compose the soundtrack for Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, his only video game soundtrack outside of the Spyro franchise to date. In 2000, he combined with Les Claypool of Primus (with whom he produced a track on the Primus album Antipop) and Trey Anastasio of Phish to create the band Oysterhead. That same year, he was approached by director Adam Collis to assemble the score for the film Sunset Strip.

File:Stewart copland01 flickr.jpg

In 2002, Copeland was hired by Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of the Doors to play with them for a new album and tour, but the tour was cut short.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/stewart-copeland-sues-surviving-doors-72009/ |date=March 12, 2003 | title=Stewart Copeland Sues Surviving Doors | magazine=Billboard }}

In 2005, Copeland released "Orchestralli", a live recording of chamber ensemble music which he had composed during a short tour of Italy in 2002. Also in 2005, Copeland started Gizmodrome, a new project with avant-garde guitarist David Fiuczynski, multi-instrumentalist Vittorio Cosma, singer Raiz and bassist Max Gazzè. The band made their U.S debut on September 16, 2006, at the Modern Drummer Drum Festival. In January 2006, Copeland premiered his film about the Police called Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out at the Sundance Film Festival. In February and March, he appeared as one of the judges on the BBC television show Just the Two of Us (a role he later reprised for a second series in January 2007).

{{Main|The Police Reunion Tour}}

At the 2007 Grammy Awards, Copeland, Andy Summers and Sting performed the song "Roxanne" together again as the Police. This marked the band's first public performance since their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. One day later, the band announced that in celebration of the Police's 30th anniversary, they would be embarking on what turned out to be a one-off reunion tour on May 28, 2007. During the tour, Copeland also released his compilation album The Stewart Copeland Anthology, which was composed of his independent work.

In 2007, the French government appointed Copeland (along with Police bandmates Summers and Sting) a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.{{cite web|url=http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/actualites/conferen/albanel/thepolice.html |title=Cérémonie de remise des insignes de Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres à Sting, Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers, du groupe The Police|website=Culture.gouv.fr |date= October 1, 2007 |access-date= May 21, 2013}}

The group performed 151 dates across five continents, concluding with a final show in August 2008 at Madison Square Garden, New York.

In 2008, RIM commissioned Copeland to write a "soundtrack" for the BlackBerry Bold smart phone. He created a highly percussive theme of one minute's length from which he evolved six ringtones and a softer 'alarm tone' that are preloaded on the device.{{cite web|url=http://apcmag.com/must_hear_stewart_copelands_cool_new_blackberry_bold_theme_and_ringtones.htm |title=Stewart Copeland puts message in a bottle for BlackBerry Bold owners |website=Apcmag.com |access-date=October 10, 2011}}

In March 2008, he premiered his orchestral composition "Celeste" at "An Evening with Stewart Copeland", part of the Savannah Music Festival. The performance featured classical violinist Daniel Hope. His appearance at Savannah included a screening of Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out and a question and answer session. Also in 2008, he was commissioned by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to create a percussion piece involving primarily Indonesian instruments. "Gamelan D'Drum" was first performed in Dallas on February 5, 2012, and had its European Premiere at the Royal Academy of Music in London in July 2012.

On August 21, 2009, at SummerFest 2009, Copeland unveiled the composition "Retail Therapy", which was commissioned by the Music Society. He performed three more original works: "Kaya", "Celeste", and "Gene Pool", the last accompanied by San Diego–based percussion ensemble red fish blue fish.{{cite web |url=http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-08-22/blog/culture-cruncher/review-polices-stewart-copeland-rocks-summerfest |title=Review: Police's Stewart Copeland rocks SummerFest |website=Sdnn.com |access-date=October 10, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924095727/http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-08-22/blog/culture-cruncher/review-polices-stewart-copeland-rocks-summerfest |archive-date=September 24, 2015 }} He attended a composer's roundtable and a question and answer discussion in conjunction with the festival. Copeland wrote the score for a theatrical presentation of Ben-Hur, which premiered on September 17, 2009, at the O2 Arena in London. He provided English-language narration of the production, which is performed in Latin and Aramaic.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} His memoir Strange Things Happen: A Life with The Police, Polo, and Pygmies was released by HarperCollins in September 2009.{{cite web| url=http://www.harpercollins.ca/books/9780061791499/Strange_Things_Happen/index.aspx |title=Strange Things Happen: A Life with The Police, Polo, and Pygmies |publisher=HarperCollins|access-date=October 5, 2009 }} The book chronicles events in his life from childhood through his work with the Police and to the present.{{cite web|publisher = Amoeba Music | date = October 8, 2009 | url = http://www.amoeba.com/live-shows/performances/hollywood/2009-october-08/stewart-copeland-book-signing/artist.html |title=Stewart Copeland Book Signing | access-date = October 23, 2009}} In October 2009, he was a guest on Private Passions, the biographical music discussion program on BBC Radio 3.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/privatepassions/ |title=BBC Radio 3 |website=Bbc.co.uk|access-date=October 10, 2011}}

On May 24, 2011, he started a YouTube channel devoted to his videos and project updates.{{cite web| url=https://www.youtube.com/user/stewartcopelandnet|title=Stewart Copeland|via=YouTube|access-date=January 18, 2015}} On this channel, he uploads performances with various musicians, including Primus, Andy Summers, Jeff Lynne, Snoop Dogg, and others in his home studio, which he refers to as the Sacred Grove. On August 24, 2011, he was a featured soloist on the Late Show with David Letterman, as part of their second "Drum Solo Week".

On January 10, 2012, he appeared on an episode of the A&E reality series Storage Wars to appraise a drum set for Barry Weiss, buying a Turkish cymbal from the set for $40. In July he reunited with former Animal Logic bandmate Stanley Clarke for a European tour.

In May 2013, he and the Long Beach Opera premiered The Tale Tell Heart, an opera based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe.{{cite web|last1=Swed|first1=Mark|title=Review: 'Van Gogh' and 'Tell-Tale Heart' have a crazy idea|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-xpm-2013-may-13-la-et-cm-long-beach-opera-review-20130513-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 18, 2018|date=May 13, 2013}}

On November 26, 2013, he appeared in the first episode of The Tim Ferriss Experiment.{{cite web| url=http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2013/11/26/premiere-tv-episode-the-tim-ferriss-experiment-online-for-free/|title=Premiere TV Episode! "The Tim Ferriss Experiment"|date=November 27, 2013| website=Fourhourweek.com|access-date=January 18, 2015}}

In 2017, he formed the supergroup Gizmodrome with Adrian Belew, Vittorio Cosma, and Mark King and released an album of the same name.{{cite web| last1=Giles| first1=Jeff|title=Adrian Belew and Stewart Copeland Say New Gizmodrome Band Project Was an 'Immediate Lovefest'|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/stewart-copeland-adrian-belew-gizmodrome-interview-2017/| website=Ultimate Classic Rock|access-date=November 12, 2017|date=September 15, 2017}} That album peaked at No. 14 on the UK Independent Albums chart.{{cite book|title=Gizmodrome - Gizmodrome|date=September 2017|publisher=earMUSIC}}{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/gizmodrome-gizmodrome/|title=Gizmodrome - Gizmodrome|publisher=Official Charts|access-date=December 29, 2024}}

Ricky Kej and Copeland previously worked together on a song in 2016. During a pause in concerts and overall activity due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Kej reached out to Copeland. The duo eventually collaborated on a studio album entitled Divine Tides. This album was released in 2021 alongside eight music videos shot in locations ranging from the Himalayas in India, to forests in Spain.{{cite web |url=https://www.divinetidesmusic.com/ |title=Home |website=Divinetidesmusic.com}} In April 2022, the album scored Copeland his sixth Grammy Award, and Ricky Kej his second Grammy Awards, in the category of Best New Age Album.{{cite web | url=https://www.grammy.com/news/2022-grammys-complete-winners-nominees-nominations-list | title=2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Winners & Nominations List|website=Grammy.com}}

File:TaylorHawkTributeWemb030922 (160 of 281) (52334648193).jpg

On September 5, 2021, the opera Electric Saint about the life of Nikola Tesla by Copeland with libretto by Jonathan Moore premiered at the National Theater of Weimar.{{cite web |title=Electric Saint |url=https://www.nationaltheater-weimar.de/en/programm/stueck-detail.php?SID=2678 |website=Nationaltheater-weimar.de |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Stewart Copeland: ELECTRIC SAINT - 5 SEPTEMBER 2021, WEIMAR |url=https://www.stewartcopeland.net/news/3159/electric-saint-5-september-2021-weimar |website=Stewartcopeland.net}}

In 2022, he was appointed a Visiting Scholar at McGill University in the laboratory of Dr. Daniel J. Levitin, during which time they co-wrote the chapter "What Can the Performing Arts Learn

from Empirical Time Research? Timing, Tempo and Rhythm: Evidence from the Laboratory and the Concert Stage" for the Oxford University Press book "Performing Time: Synchrony and Temporal Flow in Music and Dance."{{Cite book|author1=Wöllner, C.|author2= London, J.|title=Performing Time: Synchrony and Temporal Flow in Music and Dance|year=2023|publisher=Oxford University Press}}

On February 6, 2023, the album Divine Tides brought Copeland his seventh Grammy Award and Ricky Kej his third Grammy Award in the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in the category of Best Immersive Audio Album.{{Cite web |title=2023 GRAMMY Nominations: The Complete Winners & Nominees List |url=https://www.grammy.com/news/dr-andy-hildebrand-honored-recording-academy-special-merit-award |access-date=February 24, 2023 |website=Grammy.com}}

In 1974, Copeland became romantically involved with Curved Air vocalist Sonja Kristina, and they were married from 1982 to 1991.{{cite web | last = James | first = Billy | title = Interview: Sonja Kristina | website=Getreadytorock.com | url = http://www.getreadytorock.com/rock_stars/sonja_kristina.htm | date = May 2008}}{{Cite book | last = Copeland | first = Stewart | title = Strange Things Happen: A Life with The Police, Polo, and Pygmies | publisher = HarperCollins | year = 2009}} He adopted her son from a previous relationship, and they had two sons of their own.{{Cite news | last = Pearce | first = Garth | title = Shea, yeah, yeah... | newspaper = The Daily Express | date = August 18, 1983}} In 1981, he fathered a son with Marina, the daughter of Irish author Desmond Guinness and Mariga Guinness.{{Cite news | last = Daly | first = Susan | title = Bohemian rhapsody: Marina Guinness and Kila | newspaper = Irish Independent | date = July 19, 2008}}{{Cite news | last = Ross | first = Seamus | title = Talent on Tap | newspaper = Sunday Mirror | date = March 16, 2008}} He currently lives in Los Angeles with his second wife Fiona,{{cite web | url=https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/478413/Stewart-Copeland-talks-about-life-after-The-Police | title=I wish I'd been nicer to Sting: Stewart Copeland talks about life afte | date=May 27, 2014 }} with whom he has three children.{{cite web |url=https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10182-2016277/celeste-copeland-in-biographical-summaries-of-notable-people |title=Archived copy |website=Myheritage.com |access-date=January 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206043948/https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10182-2016277/celeste-copeland-in-biographical-summaries-of-notable-people |archive-date=December 6, 2019 |url-status=dead}}

Copeland's hobbies include rollerskating, cycling along the beach in Santa Monica, filmmaking, and playing polo. He is also active on his YouTube channel, where he uploads videos of himself and other musicians during jam sessions in his studio, the Sacred Grove.{{cite magazine|last1=Prato|first1=Greg|title=Stewart Copeland Documents All-Star Jams on YouTube|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/stewart-copeland-documents-all-star-jams-on-youtube-20120908|access-date=July 13, 2017|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=September 8, 2012|quote=…his main focus nowadays is his own YouTube channel, which features jam sessions between Copeland and some very recognizable names.}}{{cite web |title=Stewart Copeland |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/stewartcopelandnet |website=YouTube |access-date=July 13, 2017 |language=en |quote=Wild Jams at the Sacred Grove: My rock star chums come here to hang and play live music.}}

Copeland grew up listening to a combination of Lebanese music, rock and roll, jazz, and reggae, but he selected from these styles what he needed rather than imitating them. In the 1980s, when many musicians were looking for bigger sound from bigger drums, he added Octobans. Invented by Tama Drums in 1978, Octobans consisted of eight six-inch drums in the shape of narrow tubes. He used another innovation, a splash cymbal based on a toy that he owned and that he helped Paiste design. He relied heavily on his 13" hi-hats.{{cite web| last1=Natelli|first1=John|title=10 Ways To Sound Like Stewart Copeland|url=http://drummagazine.com/10-ways-to-sound-like-stewart-copeland/|website=DRUM! Magazine|access-date=November 12, 2017|date=November 1, 2012}}

Despite being left-handed, Copeland plays a right-handed drum kit, placing the hi-hats on his left and ride cymbal and floor toms on his right. He uses a wide dynamic range and demonstrates a proficiency of jazz-style articulation in his snare drum playing, interspersing strong back-beats with soft rim comping. During his years with the Police, he became known for engaging only the hi-hat with the bass drum to keep the beat.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

In an interview with Far Out, Copeland cited Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, John Bonham, Buddy Rich, Ringo Starr and Ginger Baker as his all time favorite drummers.{{Cite web |last=Lyng |first=Eoghan |date=2022-06-05 |title=Stewart Copeland's five favourite drummers |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/stewart-copelands-five-favourite-drummers-of-all-time/ |access-date=2024-12-29 |website=faroutmagazine.co.uk |language=en-US}}

Copeland's equipment includes Tama drums, Paiste cymbals, Remo drum heads, and Vater signature drum sticks.

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

• Tama Imperialstar Mahogany Drums (9-ply) and Paiste Cymbals:
• Drums – Midnight Blue
• 10x8" Rack Tom
• 12x8" Rack Tom
• 13x9" Rack Tom
• 16x16" Floor Tom
• 14x5" Pearl B4514 Chrome over Brass Snare Drum
• 22x14" Bass Drum
• Tama Octobans Low Pitch (x4)
• Cowbell
• Wood Blocks
• Cymbals – Paiste
• 13" Formula 602 Medium Hi-Hats
• 16" 2002 Crash
• 8" 2002 Bell
• 7.5 Ufip Ictus Bell
• 8" 2002 Splash (x2)
• 11" 2002 Splash
• 14" (or 16") Rude Crash/Ride
• 16" (or 18") Rude Crash/Ride
• 18" 2002 Medium
• 24" Rude Ride/Crash
• 20" 2002 China
• Simmons (x2) Pads (to his left)
• Assorted Percussion
• Stewart also used Calato Regal Tip Rock Wood Tipped Drumsticks

{{col-2}}

• Tama Starclassic Maple Drums and Paiste Cymbals:
• Drums – Custom Police Blue Sparkle Maple Wood
• 10x8" Tom
• 12x8" Tom (To the left of his snare drum)
• 13x9" Tom
• 16x16" Floor Tom
• 18x16" Floor Tom
• 20x14" Tama Gong Drum
• 22x18" Bass Drum
• 14x5" Tama SC145 Stewart Copeland Signature Snare
• Tama Custom Police Blue Sparkle Octobans (x4) (custom made for Copeland)
• Cymbals – Paiste
• 12" Prototype Micro Hi-Hats
• 16" Signature Full Crash
• 17" Signature Fast Crash
• 18" Signature Fast Crash
• 18" Signature Full Crash
• 18" 2002 Flat Ride (prototype)
• 22" Signature Blue Bell Ride
• 10" Signature Splash
• 8" Signature Bell
• 8" Signature Prototype Splash
• Assorted percussion
• Stewart also uses his own Vater Stewart Copeland Standard Sticks.

{{col-end}}

• 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)

• 1975: Midnight Wire
• 1976: Airborne

• Outlandos d'Amour (1978)
• Reggatta de Blanc (1979)
• Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)
• Ghost in the Machine (1981)
• Synchronicity (1983)

• 1977: Strontium 90: Police Academy by Strontium 90
• 1982: Acting Very Strange by Mike Rutherford
• 1986: So by Peter Gabriel
• 1989: Mr. Doubles by Moon on the Water
• 1989: Animal Logic by Animal Logic
• 1990: participated in One World One Voice
• 1991: Animal Logic II by Animal Logic
• 2001: The Grand Pecking Order by Oysterhead
• 2005: Crossing Times And Continents by Eberhard Schoener & Friends (with Sting and Andy Summers)
• 2017: Gizmodrome by Gizmodrome
• 2021: Gizmodrome Live by Gizmodrome
• 2021: Divine Tides with Ricky Kej
• 2023: Police Beyond Borders with Ricky Kej

{{Portal | Music | Biography}}

• List of drummers
• Membranophone (list of drums)

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikiquote}}

• [http://www.stewartcopeland.net/ Copeland's official site]
• {{IMDb name|id=0004841}}

{{Navboxes

|title = Awards for Stewart Copeland

|list =

{{Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album}}

{{2003 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}

}}

{{The Police}}

{{Curved Air}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Copeland, Stewart}}

Category:1952 births

Category:Living people

Category:A&M Records artists

Category:American expatriates in Egypt

Category:American expatriates in Lebanon

Category:American expatriates in England

Category:American film score composers

Category:American male film score composers

Category:American people of Scottish descent

Category:American rock drummers

Category:The Police members

Category:Curved Air members

Category:People educated at Millfield

Category:Musicians from Alexandria, Virginia

Category:Musicians from Beirut

Category:American video game composers

Category:Grammy Award winners

Category:United States International University alumni

Category:Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Category:20th-century American drummers

Category:American male drummers

Category:Copeland family

Category:Oysterhead members

Category:Gizmodrome members

Category:Strontium 90 (band) members

Category:Drummers from Virginia