"Mark Knopfler has an extraordinary ability
to make a Schecter Custom Stratocaster hoot and sing
like angels on a Saturday night, exhausted
from being good all week and needing a stiff beer."
- Douglas Adams, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
Mark Knopfler was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 12, 1949. seven years later his family moved to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the Northeast of England. Mark attended Gosforth Grammar School. In his teens he set his heart on an all too expensive flamingo-pink Fender Strat, just like Hank Marvin's, but in the end he had to settle for a twin pick-up Hofner Super Solid. Like many other guitar-slinging schoolboys of the 1960s, he served an early apprenticeship by forming and joining anonymous schoolboy bands and listening to guitarists such as Scotty Moore, Jimi Hendrix, Django Reinhardt and James Burton. At school Mark had demonstrated a flair for English and in 1967 he went to study journalism for a year at Harlow Technical College. At graduating he took a job in Leeds as a junior reporter on the Yorkshire Evening Post. After two years he decided to further his education and completed a degree in English at Leeds University. It was while Mark was living in Leeds that he met a local blues singer/guitarist by the name of Steve Phillips. After meeting, the two quickly discovered that musically they had much in common. Therefore, they went on to form a duo called The Duolian String Pickers. By day Mark continued working as a reporter and, later, as a full-time student, while Steve took a job at Leeds City Art Gallery and Temple Newsam House. They played together on and off over the next five years. Some of their work is featured on Steve's 1996 "Just Pickin'" album. "He was a good guitar player", Steve says wryly of the young Knopfler, "in a B.B.King sort of way." Steve was to have a profound affect on Mark's guitar playing
introducing him to the majestic lead style of black blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson and the technical minutiae of finger style country blues guitar, a style which Mark eventually evolved into his own unique style of guitar picking. While he was living in Leeds Mark made his first record. It was recorded in a room that had been converted into studio in a house in Pudsey. The
song was called "Summer's Coming My Way" and it featured Steve Phillips on twelve-string guitar. On graduating from Leeds University in 1973 Mark decided to go to London and try to break into the rock scene. He scanned through the music press and finally answered the biggest advert he could find in Melody Maker. That led him to an audition and a two month stint with a blues band called Brewer's Droop. He then took up a job as a lecturer at Loughton College in Essex where he remained for two years, living in a rented flat in Buckhurst Hill. Not long after, brother David, who was en route to London, came to stay for a few weeks. The Knopfler brothers would often sit up late into the night playing songs, and unknowlingly laying the foundations of what was to become, in time, Dire Straits. Eventually, David moved on to London and Mark went on to form a working band with friends at Loughton College. They called themselves the Café Racers. Meanwhile, David came to share a flat at Farrar House in Deptford, South-East London, with a Leicester-born bass player by the name of John Illsley. John recalls first meeting Mark. "I'd been out all night and came in about ten in the morning. I walked into the kitchen, started making myself a cup of tea, walked into the lounge and there was this guy lying on the floor with his head propped up against a chair. He was fast asleep, fully clothed in denim with leather boots. He had a guitar slouched over his waist." David had often spoken to John of his guitar-playing brother and John guessed correctly that the guy sprawled out on the lounge floor was indeed Mark. It wasn't long before John found himself on stage with Mark. One night the Café Racers' bass player was ill and John was asked to stand-in. Mark and John immediately struck up a great working relationship and both realised that, despite having built-up a good reputation on the local pub scene, the Café Racers had a limited future. In April 1977, Mark gave up his flat in Buckhurst Hill and moved in with David and John.
John quickly realised that not only was Mark a talented and excitingly different guitar player, he was also a gifted song-writer. During the summer of 1977 the three musicians found themselves playing and rehearsing Mark's songs. Yet, something was missing - a drummer. Mark said he knew of a drummer who would be ideal for the sort of music they were developing, a guy
named Pick Withers. Pick had turned professional at the age of seventeen and was already a very experienced drummer. He
was invited to the Farrar House flat and the four began doing gigs together under the name of Mark's old band, the Café
Racers. John recalled that "playing with Pick Withers was fantastic...I'd never played with anybody as good as him." Later, a friend of Pick's suggested a new name for the band - Dire Straits. The die was cast. Punishing rehearsals and live gigs followed. Then on the 27th of July 1977 Dire Straits recorded the now famous demo tapes of five songs - "Wild West End," "Sultans of Swing," "Down To The Waterline," "Sacred Loving," and "Water of Love." A few months later they recorded "Southbound Again," "In The Gallery," and "Six Blade
Knife" for BBC Radio London and, finally, on the 9th of November demo tapes were made of "Setting Me Up," "Eastbound
Train," and "Real Girl." Many of these songs reflected Mark's experiences in Newcastle, Leeds, and London, and were to be
featured on the first Dire Straits album, which was released the following year. For instance, "Down To The Waterline" recalled images of life in Newcastle; while "In
The Gallery" is a tribute to a Leeds sculptor/artist named Harry Phillips, father of Steve. Similarly, "Lions," "Wild West End," and "Eastbound Train" were all inspired by Mark's early days in London. All of these demo tapes were eventually given to BBC Radio London DJ Charlie Gillett. Charlie played the tapes calling upon record company executives to sign this new band. A few weeks later Dire Straits was signed to the Vertigolabel and Mark secured a publishing deal with Rondor Music. Shortly after this the band signed on as the support act for a tour with the Talking Heads. This tour propelled the band and gave it the lift that it needed and deserved. By the mid-1980s Dire Straits had released "Brothers in Arms," one of the best selling albums of all time, and had been dubbed by some as 'the biggest band in the world'. However, by that stage the recording and touring personnel of the band had changed more than once. For instance, David had departed. Hal Lindes, guitar, and Alan Clark, keyboards, joined. Then came Tommy Mandel, keyboards, and Mel Collins, saxophone. Pick left and was replaced on drums by Terry Williams. Keyboard player Guy Fletcher became a member of Dire Straits for the "Brothers In Arms" album. Jack Sonni, guitar, and Chris White, saxophone, were then brought in for the subsequent world tour. By the time Dire Straits set out on its 1991/92 "On Every Street" tour Mark, John, Alan, Guy and Chris were left from the mid-80s line-up. They were joined on stage by Phil Palmer, guitar, Paul Franklin, pedal-steel guitar, and percussionists Danny Cummings and Chris Whitten. The "Brothers In Arms" tour saw Dire Straits play 234 shows in twelve months to combined audiences of about 2.5 million. Within a couple of weeks of the tour finishing Mark was producing Tina Turner but, at the same time, felt he needed to get back to his roots. Long-time friends Steve Phillips and Brendan Croker had teamed-up to form a duo shortly after Mark had left Leeds in 1973. In 1986 Steve was in London and called in to see Mark, who said he was interested in coming up to Leeds and sitting in with Steve and Brendan on one of their gigs. This resulted in the three of them playing together at The Grove pub in Hunslet, Leeds, on the 31st of May, 1986. The following year Mark offered to produce Steve's next album but Steve suggested that a new album should feature both himself and Brendan. Guy Fletcher was brought in to help out on the technical side. From this evolved the Notting Hillbillies. Ed Bicknell was asked to fill the drummer's spot, and Paul Franklin joined on pedal-steel guitar. With all of the band members in place, the Notting Hillbillies set out on an extensive UK tour to promote the 1990 release of the multi-platinum selling album "Missing......Presumed Having A Good Time." Along with this album and tour, Mark released "Neck and Neck," a joint project with the greatly admired Chet Atkins. Also that same year Mark, John, Alan and Guy appeared on stage at Knebworth along with, among others, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Ray Cooper and Phil Palmer, to help raise funds for the Nordoff Robbins charity. Then came the "On Every Street" album. The resulting world tour was extensive, playing to more than four million people. It was also very punishing and exhausting, and after it was over Mark felt that he needed to take a break from the pressures of live performance and studio schedules.
In 1996 Mark returned on the scene aa a solo performer, releasing of the "Golden Heart" album. The album was simply a step
forward in the evolution of his music, "It's just moving forwards...", he said, "...Just trying to be better." Mark's soundtrack album to the film "Road To Glory" is due for
release in September, 2000, while his second solo album, "Sailing To Philadelphia," is scheduled for release during the early-autumn of 2000. This release will be most likely preceeded by a single in late-summer. To date, Mark Knopfler/Dire Straits have sold millions of singles and over 100 million albums.
Over the years Mark has collaborated with a whole host of artists, such as Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Jeff Healey, and Sting. He has also devoted a great deal of time to charity work for institutions large and small. For example,Dire Straits did a total of three concerts for the Prince's Trust in front of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales. They appeared at the 1985 Live Aid Concert and the 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert. In 1995 Mark was featured on the chart-topping Dunblane single "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and in September 1997 was one of the artists who
performed for Sir George Martin's Music For Montserrat Concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The "Notting Hillbillies," too,
have performed many charity concerts helping to raise money for a variety of charitable organizations. Mark has been the recipient of countless awards and accolades, not least among which was the conferring in May 1993 of an Honorary Music Degree by
Newcastle University, of which he is justly proud.
However, there is more to Mark Knopfler than just his awards and accolades. He is also a husband and a father, who loves to spend time with his family.
Mark Knopfler was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 12, 1949. seven years later his family moved to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the Northeast of England. Mark attended Gosforth Grammar School. In his teens he set his heart on an all too expensive flamingo-pink Fender Strat, just like Hank Marvin's, but in the end he had to settle for a twin pick-up Hofner Super Solid. Like many other guitar-slinging schoolboys of the 1960s, he served an early apprenticeship by forming and joining anonymous schoolboy bands and listening to guitarists such as Scotty Moore, Jimi Hendrix, Django Reinhardt and James Burton. At school Mark had demonstrated a flair for English and in 1967 he went to study journalism for a year at Harlow Technical College. At graduating he took a job in Leeds as a junior reporter on the Yorkshire Evening Post. After two years he decided to further his education and completed a degree in English at Leeds University. It was while Mark was living in Leeds that he met a local blues singer/guitarist by the name of Steve Phillips. After meeting, the two quickly discovered that musically they had much in common. Therefore, they went on to form a duo called The Duolian String Pickers. By day Mark continued working as a reporter and, later, as a full-time student, while Steve took a job at Leeds City Art Gallery and Temple Newsam House. They played together on and off over the next five years. Some of their work is featured on Steve's 1996 "Just Pickin'" album. "He was a good guitar player", Steve says wryly of the young Knopfler, "in a B.B.King sort of way." Steve was to have a profound affect on Mark's guitar playing
introducing him to the majestic lead style of black blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson and the technical minutiae of finger style country blues guitar, a style which Mark eventually evolved into his own unique style of guitar picking. While he was living in Leeds Mark made his first record. It was recorded in a room that had been converted into studio in a house in Pudsey. The
song was called "Summer's Coming My Way" and it featured Steve Phillips on twelve-string guitar. On graduating from Leeds University in 1973 Mark decided to go to London and try to break into the rock scene. He scanned through the music press and finally answered the biggest advert he could find in Melody Maker. That led him to an audition and a two month stint with a blues band called Brewer's Droop. He then took up a job as a lecturer at Loughton College in Essex where he remained for two years, living in a rented flat in Buckhurst Hill. Not long after, brother David, who was en route to London, came to stay for a few weeks. The Knopfler brothers would often sit up late into the night playing songs, and unknowlingly laying the foundations of what was to become, in time, Dire Straits. Eventually, David moved on to London and Mark went on to form a working band with friends at Loughton College. They called themselves the Café Racers. Meanwhile, David came to share a flat at Farrar House in Deptford, South-East London, with a Leicester-born bass player by the name of John Illsley. John recalls first meeting Mark. "I'd been out all night and came in about ten in the morning. I walked into the kitchen, started making myself a cup of tea, walked into the lounge and there was this guy lying on the floor with his head propped up against a chair. He was fast asleep, fully clothed in denim with leather boots. He had a guitar slouched over his waist." David had often spoken to John of his guitar-playing brother and John guessed correctly that the guy sprawled out on the lounge floor was indeed Mark. It wasn't long before John found himself on stage with Mark. One night the Café Racers' bass player was ill and John was asked to stand-in. Mark and John immediately struck up a great working relationship and both realised that, despite having built-up a good reputation on the local pub scene, the Café Racers had a limited future. In April 1977, Mark gave up his flat in Buckhurst Hill and moved in with David and John.
John quickly realised that not only was Mark a talented and excitingly different guitar player, he was also a gifted song-writer. During the summer of 1977 the three musicians found themselves playing and rehearsing Mark's songs. Yet, something was missing - a drummer. Mark said he knew of a drummer who would be ideal for the sort of music they were developing, a guy
named Pick Withers. Pick had turned professional at the age of seventeen and was already a very experienced drummer. He
was invited to the Farrar House flat and the four began doing gigs together under the name of Mark's old band, the Café
Racers. John recalled that "playing with Pick Withers was fantastic...I'd never played with anybody as good as him." Later, a friend of Pick's suggested a new name for the band - Dire Straits. The die was cast. Punishing rehearsals and live gigs followed. Then on the 27th of July 1977 Dire Straits recorded the now famous demo tapes of five songs - "Wild West End," "Sultans of Swing," "Down To The Waterline," "Sacred Loving," and "Water of Love." A few months later they recorded "Southbound Again," "In The Gallery," and "Six Blade
Knife" for BBC Radio London and, finally, on the 9th of November demo tapes were made of "Setting Me Up," "Eastbound
Train," and "Real Girl." Many of these songs reflected Mark's experiences in Newcastle, Leeds, and London, and were to be
featured on the first Dire Straits album, which was released the following year. For instance, "Down To The Waterline" recalled images of life in Newcastle; while "In
The Gallery" is a tribute to a Leeds sculptor/artist named Harry Phillips, father of Steve. Similarly, "Lions," "Wild West End," and "Eastbound Train" were all inspired by Mark's early days in London. All of these demo tapes were eventually given to BBC Radio London DJ Charlie Gillett. Charlie played the tapes calling upon record company executives to sign this new band. A few weeks later Dire Straits was signed to the Vertigolabel and Mark secured a publishing deal with Rondor Music. Shortly after this the band signed on as the support act for a tour with the Talking Heads. This tour propelled the band and gave it the lift that it needed and deserved. By the mid-1980s Dire Straits had released "Brothers in Arms," one of the best selling albums of all time, and had been dubbed by some as 'the biggest band in the world'. However, by that stage the recording and touring personnel of the band had changed more than once. For instance, David had departed. Hal Lindes, guitar, and Alan Clark, keyboards, joined. Then came Tommy Mandel, keyboards, and Mel Collins, saxophone. Pick left and was replaced on drums by Terry Williams. Keyboard player Guy Fletcher became a member of Dire Straits for the "Brothers In Arms" album. Jack Sonni, guitar, and Chris White, saxophone, were then brought in for the subsequent world tour. By the time Dire Straits set out on its 1991/92 "On Every Street" tour Mark, John, Alan, Guy and Chris were left from the mid-80s line-up. They were joined on stage by Phil Palmer, guitar, Paul Franklin, pedal-steel guitar, and percussionists Danny Cummings and Chris Whitten. The "Brothers In Arms" tour saw Dire Straits play 234 shows in twelve months to combined audiences of about 2.5 million. Within a couple of weeks of the tour finishing Mark was producing Tina Turner but, at the same time, felt he needed to get back to his roots. Long-time friends Steve Phillips and Brendan Croker had teamed-up to form a duo shortly after Mark had left Leeds in 1973. In 1986 Steve was in London and called in to see Mark, who said he was interested in coming up to Leeds and sitting in with Steve and Brendan on one of their gigs. This resulted in the three of them playing together at The Grove pub in Hunslet, Leeds, on the 31st of May, 1986. The following year Mark offered to produce Steve's next album but Steve suggested that a new album should feature both himself and Brendan. Guy Fletcher was brought in to help out on the technical side. From this evolved the Notting Hillbillies. Ed Bicknell was asked to fill the drummer's spot, and Paul Franklin joined on pedal-steel guitar. With all of the band members in place, the Notting Hillbillies set out on an extensive UK tour to promote the 1990 release of the multi-platinum selling album "Missing......Presumed Having A Good Time." Along with this album and tour, Mark released "Neck and Neck," a joint project with the greatly admired Chet Atkins. Also that same year Mark, John, Alan and Guy appeared on stage at Knebworth along with, among others, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Ray Cooper and Phil Palmer, to help raise funds for the Nordoff Robbins charity. Then came the "On Every Street" album. The resulting world tour was extensive, playing to more than four million people. It was also very punishing and exhausting, and after it was over Mark felt that he needed to take a break from the pressures of live performance and studio schedules.
In 1996 Mark returned on the scene aa a solo performer, releasing of the "Golden Heart" album. The album was simply a step
forward in the evolution of his music, "It's just moving forwards...", he said, "...Just trying to be better." Mark's soundtrack album to the film "Road To Glory" is due for
release in September, 2000, while his second solo album, "Sailing To Philadelphia," is scheduled for release during the early-autumn of 2000. This release will be most likely preceeded by a single in late-summer. To date, Mark Knopfler/Dire Straits have sold millions of singles and over 100 million albums.
Over the years Mark has collaborated with a whole host of artists, such as Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Jeff Healey, and Sting. He has also devoted a great deal of time to charity work for institutions large and small. For example,Dire Straits did a total of three concerts for the Prince's Trust in front of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales. They appeared at the 1985 Live Aid Concert and the 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert. In 1995 Mark was featured on the chart-topping Dunblane single "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and in September 1997 was one of the artists who
performed for Sir George Martin's Music For Montserrat Concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The "Notting Hillbillies," too,
have performed many charity concerts helping to raise money for a variety of charitable organizations. Mark has been the recipient of countless awards and accolades, not least among which was the conferring in May 1993 of an Honorary Music Degree by
Newcastle University, of which he is justly proud.
However, there is more to Mark Knopfler than just his awards and accolades. He is also a husband and a father, who loves to spend time with his family.
