Dire Straits guitarist Jack Sonni dead at 68
After performing with the classic rock band Dire Straits, guitarist Jack Sonni has passed away at 68.
The news of Sonni’s death was posted on Dire Straits’ Twitter page, with the caption “Jack Sonni Rest in Peace”.
Sonni’s career started in New York after befriending session musician Elliot Randall, then known for playing the solo on Steely Dan’s ‘Reelin in the Years’. After working in various music store in New York, he was asked to join Dire Straits after befriending Mark Knopfler in 1978.
Affectionately known as the “other guitar player in Dire Straits”, Sonni’s debut performance on a Dire Straits album was 1984’s Brothers in Arms. The album boasted massive hits for the band such as ‘Money For Nothing’, ‘Walk of Life’, and the title track.
One of the highlights from Sonni’s time with the band was playing the main stage at Live Aid. The band’s performance was in between the famous performances by both U2 and Queen at Wembley Stadium. Going their separate ways following Brothers in Arms, the regrouped version of the band played a show for Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday with Eric Clapton, by which time Sonni had left the band.
After working with the band, Sonni decided to leave the life of a musician when his daughters were born in 1988. He had since gone into the background of the music industry, working in the marketing department of Guitar Center and Line 6.
As of yet, no cause of death has been confirmed. Sonni’s website describes him as “one who knows the supreme importance of hugging them while you can… because tomorrow never knows”.
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