Mark Knopfler Biography

Musician and composer Mark Knopfler was born in 1949 in Glasgow, Scotland. When he was seven years old, his family relocated to Northumberland, where the young Mark found himself inspired by his uncle’s musicianship, which included the piano and harmonica. Mark opted to study guitar, and by the 1960’s, he’d formed a number of bands with his classmates before starting his university studies.

While studying English at the University of Leeds, Mark Knopfler recorded his first demo, and immediately after graduating in 1973, he moved to London and joined a local band. An evening of experimenting with fingerpicking on guitar led Mark Knopfler to discover his unique guitar style, one that would carry him through the rest of his career. By the mid 1970’s, Knopfler had established his first career-oriented band, the Café Racers, and in 1977, he formed the band which would launch him to superstardom – Dire Straits.

With Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler enjoyed tremendous success with the hit albums Dire Straits (1978), Communique (1979), Making Movies (1980), Love over Gold (1982), Brothers in Arms (1985), and On Every Street (1991), which brought the hits “ Romeo and Juliet,” “Sultans of Swing,” “Money for Nothing,” “Walk of Life,” and “Private Investigations.” After Dire Straits disbanded in 1995, Mark Knopfler launched a solo career which included not only his own solo albums but also a host of compositions for film.

Mark Knopfler’s solo debut, Golden Heart, was released in 1996, and a series of albums followed: Sailing to Philadelphia (2000), The Ragpicker’s Dream (2002), Shangri-La (2004), Kill to Get Crimson (2007), Get Lucky (2009), Privateering (2012), and Tracker (2014.) In addition, Knopfler scored for a number of blockbuster films, including The Princess Bride (1987) and Wag the Dog (1997), earning him a total of four Grammy Awards.

Today, Knopfler is ranked at the top of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, and in combination with his albums with Dire Straits, Knopfler has sold thus far more than one hundred million albums. Knopfler continues to perform and record; he recently re-entered the studio to prepare for his next album, scheduled for release in 2018.