Stewart Copeland was born on July 16, 1952, in Alexandria, Virginia, in the United States, but soon after moved with his family to Beirut, Lebanon. In this Middle Eastern city on the Mediterranean, Stewart grew up and learned to play the drums.

Stewart's older brother Ian had started playing drums in a local band. Following in his brother's footsteps, Stewart picked up a pair of sticks and began to play, but his knack for the instrument distinguished him from his sibling almost immediately. While Ian quickly gave up the drums, Stewart found his aim and his purpose in them.

Encouraged and assisted by his father, a jazz trumpeter in an orchestra, Stewart learned his skills from professional musicians. He was a quick study with a good ear, and he scored his first real gig playing drums while still barely in his teens. His talent set him apart, and both he and those around him soon realized that Stewart's future lay in music.

A family move to England opened new opportunities for Stewart to enter the world of rock 'n' roll, first as a journalist for a drummer magazine, then as a roadie for some local bands, including British prog-rock group Curved Air. In 1974/1975, when the band found itself in need of a new drummer, Stewart got the job.

With Curved Air Stewart landed his first real job as a professional musician and made his recording debut on two successful albums, Midnight Wire (1975) and Airborne (1976). In addition Curved Air introduced him to vocalist Sonja Kristina, who would later become his wife.