Dire Straits Guitarist Jack Sonni Dies at 68
Dire Straits Guitarist Jack Sonni Dies Age 68
Jack Sonni, the former guitarist for the British rock band Dire Straits, has passed away at the age of 68, as announced by the band on social media.
The band posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Thursday, accompanied by a black and white photograph of the guitarist, saying, “#JackSonni Rest In Peace.”
Born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Jack Sonni crossed paths with the founding members of Dire Straits, guitarists David and Mark Knopfler, while working at a guitar shop in Manhattan in 1978. This information was shared in a post on the Dire Straits Blog, which the band also shared on their social media.
Nicknamed “the other guitarist,” a title he proudly embraced in his own website biography, Sonni joined the band and contributed to their work, including their successful album “Brothers in Arms” and the subsequent tour.
“Brothers in Arms,” released in 1985, enjoyed immense success, spending 14 weeks at number one in the UK and nine weeks at number one on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The album went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide, as reported on the band’s official website. Notably, “Brothers in Arms” is credited as the first album to surpass one million copies in CD format sales, according to Billboard.
“I’m deeply saddened to learn of Jack Sonni’s passing. We cherished the time he spent with us during the Brothers in Arms tour, and it brings back fond memories,” Illsley shared in a Facebook post on Thursday.
In addition to his musical pursuits, Jack Sonni was also known as a writer and hosted a podcast titled “The Leisure Class with Jack Sonni.”
