Stewart Copeland

Andy Summers

The Police

Painted in January 2007

Acrylic on canvas - 30 inch x 24 inch

£1,750

Autographed by Stewart and Andy in October 2007

From the age of 10 (way back in 1979!) I was a huge fan of The Police, I bought all their records and had their posters all over my bedroom walls.

I saw them in concert for the first time in 1983, on their final tour before breaking up. So when they announced a reunion tour in 2007 I took the opportunity to paint their portrait and hope to get their autographs on it.

Still new to portrait painting at this time, I spent an enormous amount of time perfecting the portrait, over 80 hours of painstaking work.

Andy Summers

In October 2007, I read that Andy Summers was signing his new book ‘I’ll Be Watching You’ in London the next day, so I got up at 4am and drove to London with my painting. I arrived at 8am and was 3rd in the queue. Andy was due to sign at 6pm. After waiting 10 hours, Andy arrived on time.

Having been a fan for 30 years and also now living in the same town that Andy grew up in, Bournemouth, it was a great thrill to him for the first time.

Andy was a relaxed and friendly man. He seemed very impressed with my portrait as he held it up and showed it to the media photographers there, before kindly signing it. I was able to film the moment he signed it.

Sting

Whilst waiting to meet Andy Summers, some nice people from Belgium, in the queue next to me, told me that Sting was doing a book signing 2 days later in Harrods, London at 12pm.

So the following night I left home at 11.30pm and drove through the night up to London, arriving at Harrods at 2am on the day of the book signing.

I was the first in the queue, but by 4am the queue began to grow significantly, with another 8 hours to go until the book signing.  

After 10 hours of waiting outside (in the freezing cold!) the Harrods staff came out to talk to us and explain the procedure for the event. 

I showed them my painting and explained it took me 80 hours to paint and I would dearly love Sting to sign it. They said it was a wonderful painting and although Waterstones books were in charge of the event inside, the Harrods staff would do their best to persuade Sting's assistant from Waterstones to let me ask him to autograph it. 

The Harrods staff were wonderful and tried 3 or 4 times to persuade the Waterstones staff to let me get his autograph on it, but the Waterstones staff coldly said ‘No’ each time. 

When I was finally inside, standing next to the table where Sting would sign, I personally spoke to Sting's assistant from Waterstones and showed her my painting. I tried to explain to her, as kindly and politely as possible, that I had worked for over 80 hours on the painting and dearly wanted Sting to sign it, and I had been queuing outside for 10 hours, but she replied: 

‘Don't try to make me feel bad! You are not getting it signed!’

She then instructed a security man to take my painting away from me, which he did. I wasn’t even sure if I could trust them to give it back. I was also told to put my camera away or it would be taken too.

I then had to purchase Sting's book in order to meet him.

After he signed my book I politely told him I had painted a portrait of him, and pointed to the painting which the security man was holding at the back of the room, but Sting didn't comment and just reached for the next book to sign.

As I walked away, I asked for my painting back from the Waterstones security man and thankfully he gave it back.

The Harrods staff however, who had watched everything, were wonderful and showed a lot of compassion for my situation and were concerned for how I felt, seeing I was visibly upset, but explained they had no authority over Sting’s assistant from Waterstones and sadly could not help me further.

Stewart Copeland

Whilst queuing outside Harrods to meet Sting earlier that morning, a filmographer with a video camera walked past filming the fans in the queue. The person next to me whispered ‘Do you know who that is?’ I said ‘No’, he replied ‘That’s Stewart Copeland’s son Jordan!’

Jordan Copeland is a talented and experienced film maker and was making a documentary of The Police reunion world tour entitled ‘Better Than Therapy’.

Jordan spoke to me and I showed him my painting and said I was hoping to get Sting to sign it. I also said I would dearly love to have Stewart Copeland sign it too but I have no way of meeting him.

The Police were playing a concert at Wembley Arena that night, Jordan was so kind and said he would try to persuade his Dad, Stewart, to sign it if I could get to Wembley that evening. Such a wonderful, kind gesture.

And so, I continued to wait to meet Sting. After having my painting taken away by the Waterstones staff and Sting not signing it, I was eventually given back my painting by the Waterstones staff, and then I saw Jordan with his camera standing next to me. He said he had watched everything that happened and asked me how I was feeling. He then asked if he could film a quick interview with me about what happened with Sting, I explained I was incredibly upset and it might not be appropriate, to which Jordan replied ‘I don’t mind that, it will be good to interview you.’

So Jordan filmed me and asked a few questions about what had happened and I explained on camera about the work I had put into the painting, how long I had queued and what the Waterstones staff did. Jordan was very pleased with the interview and then to my delight said ‘I have arranged for you to meet my Dad (Stewart) at Wembley this evening. Give me your phone number and I will meet you at the stage entrance at 7pm.’

I was thrilled and so grateful to Jordan for this. I drove to Wembley that afternoon and waited at the entrance to an underground car park that the performers use for the stage entrance.

Stewart’s car arrived and drove down into the car park.

Jordan was waiting in there for him and within a few seconds Stewart called up to me ‘Come on down!’, so I walked down into the car park to meet him.

Stewart was a very warm hearted, kind man. He gave a wonderful smile when he saw my portrait and signed it. I was able to quickly film him signing it too.

I then asked if I could have my photo taken with him, he said ‘Yes of course’, but as I handed my camera to the assistant with him to take it, the assistant said ‘No, we don't have time for that!’ and pulled Stewart away. Stewart seemed somewhat surprised and as he was being dragged away he turned and said to me ‘Oh I am sorry…’ and was led through a door. 

I would like to give my deepest thanks to Jordan for his kindness and help throughout the day and wish him great success in his film career. See Jordan’s excellent film work here: www.jordancopeland.work

And of course my deepest thanks to Stewart for taking the care to sign my portrait and giving me a wonderful memory to end what was an emotional day.

The tickets for The Police concert that evening were very expensive and at the time I did not have the funds to buy one. So I put the portrait back in my car and just sat outside the venue taking in the atmosphere as all the fans entered the arena.

At the last moment when everyone was inside, a couple of guys came over to me and asked if I would like a spare ticket because one of their friends couldn’t make it. I said I didn’t have much money, all I had on me was £20. They said ‘That will do!’ and gave me the ticket for a fraction of what it cost!

I then found myself inside Wembley Arena sitting next to these guys, enjoying a fantastic concert.

Afterwards, I made one last attempt to meet Sting again. I waited outside the performers car park, with a small group of fans, until 1am, but Sting didn’t come out to sign autographs.

So I gave up, still having a 2 hour drive home ahead of me. Eventually arriving home at 3am after being awake for 30 hours since 11.30pm two days before!

The following year I tried once again to meet Sting at a solo concert at The Royal Albert Hall in London. Waiting by the stage door with my painting and a small group of fans (including a couple who recognised me from Wembley!), but sadly Sting didn’t come out to sign for us.

Below are the films of Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland signing the portrait.