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. Although he presently has a signature guitar from Fender, he is also known for his signature Pensa-Suhr MK series (now known as Pensa)

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)
  • The Ragpicker's Dream (2002)
  • 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)

External links

• http://www.mark-knopfler.com/
• http://www.mark-knopfler-news.co.uk/
• http://www.mark-knopfler.de/
• http://www.what-it-is.nl/
• http://www.spanishcity.net/
• http://www.mark-knopfler.info/
• http://www.markknopflerclan.tk/