Began playing guitar at age nine (date approximate)

Received a seaman's card and worked as bass player with the Ronnie Pierson trio on Princess Cruise Lines at age 17 (date approximate)

Worked as a construction laborer, a clerk for Inland Revenue and an English teacher and soccer coach at St Catherine's Convent School in Newcastle-on-Tyne; moonlighted with rock and jazz groups such as Phoenix Jazzmen and Last Exit

Formed group The Police with drummer Stewart Copeland and rhythm guitarist Andy Summers; first album "Outlandos D'Amour" was an immediate success

Screen acting debut in "Quadrophenia"

Co-starred in Richard Loncraine's "Brimstone and Treacle", scripted by Dennis Potter; also composed music and performed on the soundtrack with The Police

Displayed more of his body than his acting ability in David Lynch's "Dune"

Left The Police to pursue solo career; first solo album "The Dream of the Blue Turtles"

Tour with band formed for "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" album was subject of Michael Apted's documentary "Bring on the Night", which in turn resulted in album of the tour with same title in 1986

Showed both street smarts and vulnerability in Fred Schepisi's "Plenty", adapted by David Hare from his play

Played leading role of Dr. Frankenstein in "The Bride"

Acted opposite Kathleen Turner in "Julia and Julia"

Starred in Mike Figgis' directorial debut "Stormy Monday"; delivered strong performance as a jazz club manager

Broadway debut as Macheath in a revival of "Threepenny Opera"; New York Times critic Frank Rich described him as "a stiff onstage"

Wrote music for Barbara Trent's Oscar-winning documentary "Panama Deception"

Sang on soundtrack of Figgis' "Leaving Las Vegas"

Revived acting career, portraying conniving bisexual butler in "Gentlemen Don't Eat Poets/Grave Indiscretion"; produced by wife Trudie Styler who also played a small role as a drunken cook

Acted in Guy Ritchie's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"; played bar owner father of a cardsharp

With David Hartley, wrote song score for the Disney animated feature "Kingdom of the Sun"; project retooled into "The Emperor's New Groove" and most of songs were dropped, however, one of the retained tunes, "My Funny Friend and I", received an Oscar nomination

Wrote and performed "Until" on the soundtrack to "Kate & Leopold"; earned second Oscar nomination

Signed deal to write a non-fiction book to be published by Bantam Dell in 2004

Wrote and performed "You Will Be My Ain True Love" for the film "Cold Mountain"; received Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song; received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song

Released "Songs From The Labyrinth," an album of recordings of the music of John Dowland by Sting and Bosnian lutanist Edin Karamazov

Received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration for Always On Your Side which he sang with Sheral Crow