Sting played acoustic "Close Your Eyes" in MusicCares Tribute to James Taylor Sting first saw Taylor as a 19-year-old in Newcastle, England, in 1971. "I'm a budding songwriter. At least I think I am," the former Police frontman recalled. "I want to see what all the fuss is about. Within four bars, I realize he's a virtuoso of the guitar. He starts to sing in this soft, rich baritone. I think, `I have to change my career. I'll become a bass player in a punk band.'"