Mark Knopfler hails Elvis Presley the “total rockstar”
Former Dire Straits singer Mark Knopfler has discussed his childhood love of Elvis Presley, declaring him as the “total rockstar”.
Born in 1949, Knopfler’s first exposure to rock ‘n’ roll was at the hands of Presley, but the music industry was yet to become the immovable cultural force it stands as today, leading to Elvis to swap the recording studio for Hollywood.
In the 1960s, with the success of The Beatles, rock stars became new movie stars. This change was refreshing for Knopfler to witness as he’d previously been left disappointed by Presley’s decision to turn his back on music for ambitions of seeing his face projected onto the silver screen.
Appearing on Shaun Keaveny’s Daily Grind podcast, available on Global Player, Knopfler told the former BBC 6 Music host: “In many respects, thinking about it, the movies were a bigger draw to American rockers weren’t they, when they were on the charts when they were kids because Elvis wanted to be James Dean and Marlon Brando.”
The singer-songwriter continued: “I remember being surprised when I heard that Elvis wanted to be a movie star, I was kind of disappointed because, to me, he was the total rockstar.”
Elsewhere in the podcast, Knopfler reflected on his partnership with Bob Dylan, who he first worked with in the ’80s, and also performed in his band for a period. The musician divulged, “Bob was always so important to me as a songwriter from his very first album, my sister brought it home, and so I was in from the first album on. I’ve always been a fan from that moment on, nothing would ever shift that, nothing would ever change that, so I get as much delight when I hear (mimics sound of Dylan), it just makes me so happy that songwriting fertility.”
Knopfler then highlighted ‘Not Dark Yet’, which appeared on Dylan’s 1997 album Time Out of Mind, as an example of his songwriting brilliance. “It’s a wonder and it’s been a joy all my life,” he passionately noted of the legendary singer-songwriter.
He also confirmed they remain in contact “every now and then”, but doesn’t regret his decision to become a full-time member of Dylan’s band despite claiming he “loved” every moment on stage with his idol.
Meanwhile, Knopfler who released his new album Deep River on April 12th, recently confirmed he remains committed to his retirement from touring after playing his final headline show in 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
He told The Times: “It’s been a long process. Patience has been required, with lockdowns and everything. But you live for those days when the band is together. I love working on my own and being at home and writing the songs. But there’s nothing quite like having a man in every corner of the room.”
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