ack Sonni, Dire Straits guitarist from the ‘Brothers In Arms’ era, dies At the age of 68, Sonni contributed to a multi-million-selling album and toured extensively.
Jack Sonni, known as “the other guitarist” with Mark Knopfler during Dire Straits’ Brothers In Arms era, died yesterday (30) at the age of 68. The Pennsylvania native most recently performed with Dire Straits Legacy, a group of musicians who had previously toured with the band and/or appeared on their albums.
Bassist and co-founder John Illsley posted on Facebook, “So sorry to hear the sad news that Jack Sonni has died; we loved having him with us on the Brothers in Arms tour, fond memories.” R.I.P, Jack.” Dire Straits Legacy revealed last week that Sonni was unwell and will be unable to take part in the band’s upcoming shows. The reason of death has not yet been confirmed.
Knopfler posted on social media on Friday (1): “A sad farewell to our old friend Jack Sonni, whom I met when he worked at Rudy’s Music Stop on 48th St. Jack was a true guitar aficionado who spent his days playing, jamming, and talking about guitars and amplifiers. He joined us on tour during the Brothers in Arms era and fit right in with the band. Jack made friends wherever he went and will be missed by his many pals around the world. “Our thoughts are with his family at this time.”
Sonni was born on December 9, 1954, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and previously played piano and trumpet before moving to guitar. Elliot Randall, a well-known session guitarist, encouraged him to relocate to New York and form his own band, the Leisure Class. Working at Rudy’s Music Stop, he met David Knopfler and then his older brother Mark.
After the departure of David, and then of Hal Lindes, Sonni received an invitation to play on the multi-million-selling Brothers In Arms album and the huge subsequent world tour. He added a guitar synthesizer part to the track “The Man’s Too Strong,” and performed with the band at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium. Sonni was pictured alongside Mark Knopfler in many of the enduring images of their set.
In his 2021 memoir My Life In Dire Straits, Illsley wrote: “We had moved quickly to replace Hal on guitar, bringing Jack Sonni, a friend of Mark’s over to Montserrat from New York. It was a speculative move that paid off handsomely for all concerned. Jack worked in Rudy’s guitar store, our favourite haunt, a few blocks away from the Power Station in Lower Manhattan, where Mark had met him.
“He could certainly play, and we all got along, so it was decided that Jack was going to join us to play one of the biggest-selling tours in rock history. I remember Mark saying ‘Sometimes it’s nice to play Father Christmas.’”
Sonni became Vice President of Marketing Communication for Guitar Centre in the 2000s and later wrote literature, as well as reviving the Leisure Class for shows and joining Dire Straits Legacy.
