In an interview with Guitar Player, Mark Knopfler shared something he still regrets.
The musician has won four Grammy Awards and several other honors, including an OBE. He didn’t attend Dire Straits’ 2018 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, leaving his partner, bassist John Illsley, to give the speech and accept the award. Knopfler later said he regrets not being there:
“Yeah, I guess so. I was a rock and roll teenager, and I spent my whole young life going to see bands. For a lot of years, I went to a gig at least every week without fail, so it is a big part of my life.”
What Did Illsley Say About Mark’s Absence?
Dire Straits was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Knopfler did not attend the ceremony. He skipped the event in Cleveland, and later Illsley explained why he was absent:
“It was quite tricky to get it right, to be honest. I knew Mark … was somewhat reluctant, because of the way it was politically handled. I completely understood that. But I just felt that at least one of us should be there to acknowledge it. To me, it was sort of a prestigious thing to be offered to the band, no matter what you think about it. It’s a recognition of something and fairly important. I didn’t want to let that go. I wanted to celebrate it in a way as best we could under the circumstances.”
Illsley said it was ‘a little odd’ that the three band members had to induct themselves into the Rock Hall. Before the ceremony in April 2018, he mentioned that Knopfler wasn’t being clear with the band about why he wasn’t attending:
“He’s got his reasons, which he really doesn’t want to share with me, which is unusual because we’ve shared most things over the years.”
Knopfler’s latest solo album, ‘One Deep River’ dropped on April 12, 2024. The guitarist wrote all 12 songs himself.
