Mark Knopfler

Mark Knopfler with Dire Straits performing Live

Mark Knopfler (born August 12, 1949) is a British guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is best-known as the lead guitarist and vocalist for the band Dire Straits, but has also made albums as a solo performer and played in other bands (such as the Notting Hillbillies). He has also performed on work by other artists, such as Bob Dylan, and produced albums for artists such as Tina Turner, Randy Newman, and (again) Dylan. In addition, he has scored the music to several films, including Local Hero, The Princess Bride and Last Exit to Brooklyn.

He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and moved with his family to Newcastle upon Tyne in the mid 1950s. He learned to play the guitar as a teenager, but worked as a journalist for the Yorkshire Evening Post, and then as a lecturer at Loughton College, before he became a full-time musician in the late 1970s. He is noted for being left-handed, but playing right-handed, and for fingerpicking instead of strumming or using a plectrum; fingerpicking is usually associated with the acoustic guitar, but Knopfler usually (though not always) plays an electric guitar, particularly the Fender Stratocaster.

Knopfler and his associated bands have sold over 100 million albums, and performed live to audiences totalling many millions. He has twin sons (Benji and Joseph, born 1987), and two daughters Isabella (1998) and Katya (2003); he holds a degree in English from Leeds University, and has been awarded an honorary music degree from Newcastle University.

Albums

  • with Dire Straits
    • see list at Dire Straits
  • solo
    • Golden Heart (1996)
    • Sailing to Philadelphia (2000 in music)
    • The Ragpicker's Dream (2002 in music)
    • Shangri-La (2004)
  • soundtrack
    • Local Hero
    • Cal
    • The Princess Bride
    • Last Exit To Brooklyn
    • Metroland
    • Wag The Dog
    • A Shot at Glory
  • others
    • Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time(Notting Hillbillies (The Band is with his friends))
    • Neck and Neck (with Chet Atkins)
    • Slow train coming (with Bob Dylan)
    • Infidels (with Bob Dylan)
    • Release (with David Knopfler)
    • Never Told A Soul (with John Illsley)
    • Glass (with John Illsley)

Trivia

  • In keeping with British tradition, sips tea on stage during live performances (Bangalore, India, 7 March 2005)

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Knopfler and his associated bands have sold over 100 million albums, and performed live to audiences totalling many millions. He has twin sons (Benji and Joseph, born 1987), and two daughters Isabella (1998) and Katya (2003); he holds a degree in English from Leeds University, and has been awarded an honorary music degree from Newcastle University. Recently he has announced a new CD and taken part in a benefit concert to raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. He is noted for being left-handed, but playing right-handed, and for fingerpicking instead of strumming or using a plectrum; fingerpicking is usually associated with the acoustic guitar, but Knopfler usually (though not always) plays an electric guitar, particularly the Fender Stratocaster. He was still recording and appearing live in the early 2000s. He learned to play the guitar as a teenager, but worked as a journalist for the Yorkshire Evening Post, and then as a lecturer at Loughton College, before he became a full-time musician in the late 1970s. Since then, Lopez has done much charity work and has received many honours, such as being inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2003. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and moved with his family to Newcastle upon Tyne in the mid 1950s. He continued his musical career with extensive tours of Europe and Latin America during this period, remaining firmly within his Latin music genre; an attempt to break out by releasing a disco album in the United Kingdom in 1978 proved an embarrassing flop.

In addition, he has scored the music to several films, including Local Hero, The Princess Bride and Last Exit to Brooklyn. He co-starred the war movie The Dirty Dozen (1967) and Antonio (1973) . He has also performed on work by other artists, such as Bob Dylan, and produced albums for artists such as Tina Turner, Randy Newman, and (again) Dylan. His first film appearance was in Marriage On The Rocks (1965) where he appeared with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. He is best-known as the lead guitarist and vocalist for the band Dire Straits, but has also made albums as a solo performer and played in other bands (such as the Notting Hillbillies). During the 1960s and 1970s Lopez moved into acting as well as recording and playing, though his film career was not nearly as successful as his music. Mark Knopfler (born August 12, 1949) is a British guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He also recorded covers of other popular songs of the day, including Lemon Tree (1965), I'm Coming Home Cindy (1966) and Sally Was a Good Old Girl (1968).

In keeping with British tradition, sips tea on stage during live performances (Bangalore, India, 7 March 2005). He also performed his own version of the traditional Mexican song La Bamba on this album. Glass (with John Illsley). The album included Lopez's most famous song, If I Had A Hammer, which reached number one in 25 countries and was a radio favourite for many years. Never Told A Soul (with John Illsley). His debut album, Trini Lopez Live at PJ's, was released in 1963. Release (with David Knopfler). Costa was greatly taken with Lopez's Latinized versions of contemporary hits and signed him up to Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records.

Infidels (with Bob Dylan). Born Trinidad Lopez III in Dallas, Texas, he made his name on the club circuit of the American Southwest before being "discovered" in 1962 by the record producer Don Costa while playing at the PJ Club in Hollywood. Slow train coming (with Bob Dylan). Trini Lopez (May 15, 1937- ) is a Latin American singer/guitarist. Neck and Neck (with Chet Atkins). Official site (http://www.trinilopez.com/) (A detailed biography is available at this site.). Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time(Notting Hillbillies (The Band is with his friends)).

others

    . A Shot at Glory. Wag The Dog. Metroland.

    Last Exit To Brooklyn. The Princess Bride. Cal. Local Hero.

    soundtrack

      . Shangri-La (2004). The Ragpicker's Dream (2002 in music). Sailing to Philadelphia (2000 in music).

      Golden Heart (1996). solo

        . see list at Dire Straits. with Dire Straits
          .