Jack Sonni performed in Italy in 2019 with Dire Straits.
He had been ill for months but the family has not specified the reason for his death
He was known as the “other guitarist” of Dire Straits, overshadowed by the fame of Mark Knopfler.
Jack Sonni, former guitarist Difficulty, has died at the age of 68 in the United States. The band led by Mark Knopfler himself announced the sad news on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Sonni had been suffering from health problems for several months, although her colleagues had not provided details about the exact cause of her death.
“JackSonni rest in peace,” wrote his colleagues along with a black and white photo of the musician, taken at one of his first concerts with Mark Knopfler’s band he joined in 1984.
Sonni is known to fans of the legendary group as “another guitarist”, because Knopfler’s fame dwarfed anyone who played with him.
Jack Sonni joined Dire Straits around the time of their hit album Brother in armspublished in 1985. Jack, born in Pennsylvania (United States) in 1954, was trained in music from a very young age.
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Concert with other former members of Dire Straits
He studied Literature at the University of Connecticut (USA) but left it to train at the Hartford Conservatory. Sonni is an experienced guitarist. He met Knopler in London, and joined Dire Straits after Hal Lindes left the band.
Knoplfer asked Sonni to join the band for the recording Brother in arms in 1984. He went on their next tour with them and in concerts Live Help at Wembley (England) on 13 July 1985, with Dire Straits.
In 1988 he changed the scenario of the marketing world. He is the music technology business director at Line 6, and his latest career change was quitting his job to write. He is part of the Noepe Literary Arts Center on Martha’s Vineyard (Massachusetts).
However, he never abandoned music completely. He plays regularly with his band, The Leisure Class. And he has performed several shows with other former members of Dire Straits on DSL’s project, Dire Straits Legacy.
“Internet trailblazer. Troublemaker. Passionate alcohol lover. Beer advocate. Zombie ninja.”
