Mark Knopfler Tickets

Mark Knopfler Schedule

Mark Knopfler - Resources

• Official Mark Knopfler Website
• Mark Knopfler on MySpace
• Mark Knopfler on FaceBook

About Mark Knopfler

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1949, Mark Knopfler moved to the English town of Newcastle when he was only nine years old. Inspired by his uncle who played multiple instruments, Knopfler began playing the guitar and emulating some of his favorite artists including Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presley. But his life at first would be anything but that of a rock star, as he studied journalism in school and used it to become a junior reporter at the Yorkshire Evening Post. Over the next several years, Mark and his brother David would often play songs together, but it wasn't until 1977 that the two formed the band Dire Straits.

They released their first album Dire Straits in 1978, but the album received little commercial success in the UK. The single "Sultans of Swing" kept the band alive as it became a surprise Top 10 hit. Knopfler and the rest of Dire Straits would release three albums following their debut, all of which reached the Top 20 in both the US and UK. However, it was their fifth album, Brothers in Arms, that permanently put Dire Straits on the musical map. The album went to the top of the charts in both countries and currently sits as one of the top selling albums of all time. It featured the hit single "Money for Nothing" that found its way to the #1 spot on the charts and was heavily played on MTV with its line "I want my MTV" in the lyrics that boosted ratings for the network.

Dire Straits dissolved as a band in 1995, and Knopfler embarked on a solo career with the release of Golden Heart in 1996. The first single off of the album, "Darling Pretty," was used in the soundtrack of the film Twister. Some of his other albums included Sailing to Philadelphia, Shangri-La and Kill to Get Crimson. Along with his solo work, Knopfler has worked on albums with such artists as Eric Clapton, John Fogerty and Steely Dan.