Sting

Sting first found fame with The Police

In a Hardtalk Extra programme broadcast on Friday 8th December, Razia Iqbal talks to one of England's most successful songwriters, Sting.

With worldwide smash hits like Roxanne and Every Breath You Take, Sting dominated the charts in the early eighties with his band The Police.

When the band split, he established himself as a hugely successful solo artist.

In a career spanning over twenty five years, he's seen it all, from Live Aid to Live8, and the change from vinyl records to digital downloads.

He tells Razia Iqbal why he's disillusioned with Tony Blair, and why he now draws musical inspiration from an English songwriter who lived four hundred years ago.

HARDtalk Extra can be seen on BBC World at 0330 GMT, 0830 GMT, 1430 GMT, 1830 GMT, 2330 GMT.

It can also be seen on BBC News 24 at 04:30 and 23:30.