The guitarist Mark Knopfler crowned the “white Ray Charles”
Mark Knopfler, former leader of Dire Straits, is renowned for his virtuosity on the guitar, a skill he expertly leverages in his songwriting to highlight his technical musicianship. Despite being celebrated as a guitar great, Knopfler’s vocal talents are frequently overshadowed.
While Knopfler’s prowess as a guitarist may overpower his abilities as a vocalist, his singing voice has never been a hindrance to his career. In fact, it complements the sound he seeks to achieve with Dire Straits. After all, a classically trained voice may well have detracted from the character and charm inherent in his songs.
In many ways, Knopfler’s understated vocals became an essential part of Dire Straits’ appeal. Rather than overpowering songs with theatrical performances, he delivered lyrics with a conversational ease that made even the band’s most intricate compositions feel grounded and approachable.
Despite their differences as artists, Bob Dylan is another singer-songwriter whose emphasis is on songwriting rather than singing. His voice is utterly unique to himself, has transformed over the decades, and is perfect for his brand of artistry.
That authenticity is something Knopfler has always valued more highly than technical perfection. For him, emotional honesty and character matter far more than vocal range or precision, which explains why he gravitates towards singers whose imperfections actually strengthen the personality of their music.
These are the brand of singers that appeal to Knopfler most. He knew that, despite whatever level of training he put into changing his vocals, Knopfler would never be able to be anything apart from himself, which is the trait he admires most in others.
During an interview with Rolling Stone in 1985, Knopfler explained the singers who have inspired him the most, even in his childhood. “When I was a little kid, I sang Everly Brothers songs with a friend of mine. I really tried to sing well, and I think we did, for kids,” he began.
Knopfler then heaped immense praise on Eric Clapton, who, similarly to him, is celebrated primarily as a guitarist rather than as a vocalist, adding: “But in general, I think singers absorb the influence of other singers. Eric Clapton’s one of my favourite singers. People don’t give him enough credit for his singing. As a singer, he’s the white Ray Charles.”
The Dire Straits singer also noted: “Bob Dylan’s another influence on my singing. I don’t hear it as much as other people seem to, but I know he’s in there, in my phrasing. A lot of my favorite singers, people like Tom Waits, Ry Cooder, J.J. Cale, they’re not technically great. But to me, that’s what makes them special.”
Clapton and Knopfler have traded licks many times together on stage, viewing one another in the highest regard, respectively. They are two titans of the musical game who know how to play to their strengths, and when they combine, it creates a beautiful alchemy.
Although he is frequently celebrated for his guitar playing above all else, Knopfler’s voice remains inseparable from Dire Straits’ identity. Without that weary, understated vocal presence guiding songs like ‘Sultans of Swing’ or ‘Brothers in Arms’, the band’s music would lose much of the warmth and humanity that made it resonate with audiences worldwide.
Furthermore, while speaking to Rolling Stone in 1991, Clapton said of his peer: “Well, Mark Knopfler, I think, is totally unique. He’s a great craftsman, which brings it back to that. I mean, with Dire Straits, if you listen to any of their albums the first time, it sort of goes by you a bit. Then gradually it just gets better and better, and it stands the test of time. They’re fantastic craftsmen.”
Watch the footage below of Clapton and Knopfler performing ‘Money For Nothing’ with Sting and Phil Collins.
