Mark Knopfler

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Brit Mark Knopfler is one of the guitar heroes of our time. In the late 1970s, he rose to fame as the singer and guitarist for Dire Straits. The group became one of the most successful rock bands of the 1980s thanks to albums like "Love Over Gold" (1982) and "Brothers In Arms" (1985), and the resulting hits "Private Investigations" and "Money For Nothing." Mark Knopfler also worked with Emmylou Harris, Chat Atkins, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Zucchero Fornaciari, Cliff Richard, and Randy Newman, among others. In 1990, he also recorded an album—"Missing...Presumed Having A Good Time"—with the supergroup The Notting Hillbillies. In the 1990s, Mark Knopfler decided to strike out on his own. He already had a handful of successful soundtracks to his name, including "Local Hero" and "Last Exit To Brooklyn."

In 1996, his first solo album, Golden Heart, was released. His second album, Sailing to Philadelphia (2000), in particular, demonstrated that there is life after Dire Straits. He still draws on Scottish, Irish, and American influences. His lyrics retain a unique narrative quality, and his guitar playing remains a marvel of subtle functionality. The call for a reunion of his old band gradually died down, partly because Mark Knopfler continued to play old Dire Straits hits during his solo performances.

The singer-guitarist continues to delight his loyal audience with lovingly crafted and artisanal albums: The Ragpicker's Dream (2002), Shangri-La (2004), Kill To Get Crimson (2007), Get Lucky (2009), Privateering (2012), Tracker (2015), and Down The Road Wherever (2018). In 2024, he recorded a new version of "Going Home: Theme Of The Local Hero" with no fewer than 60 musicians, with proceeds going to the Teenage Cancer Fund. Released that same year, "One Deep River" was widely hailed as one of his most successful solo albums. The musician seems to have retired from the stage, but the ever-strong songs, personal lyrics, and flowing guitar solos demonstrate that Mark Knopfler still has a lot to offer musically.