Mark Knopfler

With his fleet, Chet Atkins-influenced fingerpicking style, Mark Knopfler gave rock a mighty guitar hero in the New Wave era when those were in short supply.

As Dire Straits’ main driver, he combined roots rock, vivid storytelling, and tons of tasty solos, making his band one of the world’s biggest.

Born in Glasgow in 1949, Knopfler grew up in Northumberland, England, and went through a long string of bands in the ’60s and ’70s before starting Dire Straits in 1977.