On This Day, July 16, 1952: The Police drummer Stewart Copeland is born

On This Day, July 16, 1952 …

Stewart Copeland, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer for The Police, was born in in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Police were formed in London in 1977 and released their first album, Outlandos d’Amour, in 1976. They released five studio albums in total, including their fifth, final and most successful release, 1983’s Synchronicity.

Synchronicity spent 17 weeks at #1, with the single “Every Breath You Take,” their only #1 song, spending eight weeks on top.

After a tour to support the album, The Police went on hiatus in 1984 and eventually disbanded in 1986.

In 2003 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and reunited to perform three songs together. It was their last live performance together until they reunited in 2007 for a tour that lasted until 2008. They broke up again after that.

Outside of The Police, Copeland has composed music for several films, including Wall Street and Men at Work, and has released several solo albums, including his most recent release, 2023’s Police Deranged for Orchestra.