Mark Knopfler Biography (1946–)

Originally a part of the hit English rock band, Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler has garnered much respect as a solo artist.

Mark Knopfler: The Birth of a Rocker

Born Mark Freuder Knopfler on August 12, 1949, Knopfler grew up in Scotland after Knopfler’s father was forced to flee the fascist regime of his native Hungary. Music began to surround Knopfler as early as nine years old during elementary school, when Mark Knopfler got his hand on his uncle’s harmonica. With the purchase of his first Hofner guitar as a teenager, Mark Knopfler began to develop that essential rocker mentality. Knopfler joined numerous small bands during high school, imitating many of his rock idols, like Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presley.  After a long hiatus to pursue college and eventually marry, Knopfler finally recorded his first, yet unreleased, demo, “Summer’s Coming My Way.” With his brother Dave’s help, Mark Knopfler would soon be catapulted into rock star supremacy.

Mark Knopfler: Life as a Member of Dire Straits

Mark Knopfler and his Brother, David Knopfler, created the English rock band Dire Straits in 1978. The band was known for its unique sound that returned to the roots of classical rock, avoiding the overproduced punk-rock sound of the era. Dire Strait’s first self-titled album reached unimaginable heights for such a newly formed band, topping charts across Europe and in the United States. The self-titled album Dire Straits ultimately went multi-platinum worldwide, launching Mark Knopfler into sudden rock success. Dire Straits’ second album, Communiqué, witnessed similar success, pushing Mark and his band members to rock superstardom.

Dire Straits went on a decade-long hiatus, originally disbanding in 1995, before releasing a greatest hits album in 1998, followed by numerous attempts at touring. A compilation of Dire Straits’ most notable hits, entitled “The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler,” was released to much fanfare in 2005, several years after Mark Knopfler released his first solo album.

Mark Knopfler: Going Solo

As the driving force of Dire Straits, it was only natural for Mark Knopfler to take on a solo career after Dire Strait’s dissolution. The release of Golden Heart in 1996 marked the beginning of Knopfler’s solo career. After marrying British actress Kitty Aldridge in 1997, followed by the birth of Mark’s two daughters, Mark Knopfler released his second and third studio albums, Sailing to Philadelphia in 2000 and The Ragpicker’s Dream in 2002. After a near-fatal motorcycle crash and a long-winded recovery, Mark Knopfler was able to release Shangri-La, which featured the single “Boom, Like That.” One of Mark Knopflers’s most popular singles as a solo artist, “Boom, Like That” received a modest following in the United States and reached the UK Top 40 list, one of only two singles in Mark Knopfler’s career to do so. Mark Knopfler released two live albums in 2005, One Take Radio Sessions and The Trawlerman’s Song EP. Mark Knopfler soon banded with Emmylou Harris, an American folk singer-songwriter, to produce the collaborative album, All the Roadrunning, in 2006. Mark Knopfler would soon experience renewed musical success with the release of his 5th studio album, Kill to Get Crimson.

Mark Knopfler: Recent Success

In September 2007, Mark Knopfler released Kill to Get Crimson, his most recent and most awaited studio album. Kill to Get Crimson debuted on the U.S Billboard 200 chart at No. 26 and has helped to reenergize Mark Knopfler’s fan base in the United States. The album reached even greater heights in Europe, topping at No. 2 on the album charts in Germany, Italy and Norway. Kill to Get Crimson reached No. 9 in Mark Knopfler’s home of England. Mark Knopfler kicked off his 2006 Kill to Get Crimson Tour on March 29, 2008 in Amsterdam. The tour takes Mark Knopfler across Europe and North America performing newly released singles from Kill to Get Crimson, like “True Love Will Never Fade” and “Punish the Monkey,” as well as many of Mark Knopfler’s previous solo hits.  The North American leg of Mark Knopfler’s tour is set to begin June 24, 2008 in Morrison, Colorado.

Mark Knopfler: Greatest Hits

As Rolling Stone’s 27th “Greatest Guitarist of All Time,” Mark Knopfler has produced numerous hits both as part of Dire Straits and as a solo artist. Mark Knopfler’s first hit single as part of Dire Straits was “Sultans of Swing,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 at No.4 in 1979. This achievement was momentous considering how new Dire Straits was to mainstream music. The success of Dire Straits was repeated many times over with such hits as “Private Investigation,” which reached No. 2 on the UK Top 40 charts, the No.1 U.S. hit “ Money for Nothing” and “Walk of Life.” While Mark Knopfler’s solo career did not produce such a repertoire of hits, Mark Knopfler gained some notoriety on his own for continuing Dire Straits’ practice of stripped down beats and story-telling lyrics. Singles like “Sailing to Philadelphia”, “Darling Pretty” and “All the Roadrunning,” which reached No. 17 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, help to define Mark Knopfler’s journey as a solo musician.