W’dfara writes: Parade is a magazine supplement found in many American Sunday newspapers. In “Walter Scott’s Personality Parade” column in today’s edition (May 19, 2002), there is a Tolkien-related question and answer:
Q: Did rock star Sting get his stage name from one of the swords in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit? – Eleanor Rapp, Vienna, Va.
A: Sting (Gordon Sumner), 50, is a Tolkien fan, but that’s not the source of his name. Early in his career, he wore a black-and-yellow striped sweater resembling a yellowjacket. One night there was a heckler in the audience. A band mate told Sumner, “Get him, Sting!” The name stuck.
