Mark Knopfler Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Jack Sonni, an American guitarist who played on Dire Straits’ mammoth 1985 album Brothers in Arms and was onstage with the band at Live Aid that year, has died at 68. The group shared the news on social media but did not give any details.

Sam Fender has given an update on his new album, admitting he “rushed” to release ‘Seventeen Going Under‘.Fender gave the update in an upcoming appearance on Sky Arts’ Johnson and Knopfler’s Music Legends, which sees Brian Johnson and Mark Knopfler interview musicians including Fender, Tom Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Nile Rodgers, Carlos Santana and Emmylou Harris.In the forthcoming interview (as per Music News), the Geordie musician said of his next record: “We have been recording and recording and making loads of stuff but it got to the point where I thought, ‘We don’t need to get this out yet. We need to get it right’.“For the second one [‘Seventeen Going Under’], we rushed to get that out and the third one we started rushing and I thought, ‘No, we have got to take the time’.“I want to do the best I possibly can.

Edgar Wright has revealed the iconic Shaun Of The Dead vinyl-throwing scene nearly included some David Bowie albums in its list.In a new interview with GQ for the movie’s 20th anniversary, the director opened up about some alternative albums for the film’s memorable vinyl scene.The scene depicts duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost attempting to ward off some zombies by debating which of their beloved Prince records to throw at them: “Purple Rain?” “No” “Sign O’ The Times?” “Definitely not” “The Batman Soundtrack?” “Throw it”.Now, in a conversation with Pegg and Frost, Wright revealed he tried to use Bowie’s albums for the scene instead. “At one point we did David Bowie albums,” Wright told GQ. “I think it was like: “Hunky Dory, no.

Bruce Springsteen has enlisted the help of Tom Morello to perform two songs for the first time on his ongoing tour – see the performances below.This past weekend (April 7), Springsteen brought the ongoing Springsteen & E Street 2024 tour to the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California. Springsteen and co.

The Bear star Jeremy Allen White is reportedly being eyed to portray Bruce Springsteen in an upcoming film about the making of the singer’s 1982 album ‘Nebraska’.According to Deadline Hollywood, White is the favourite to play a young Springsteen in the film – reportedly titled Deliver Me From Nowhere – which was announced this January. Deadline notes that an negotiations with White have not begun, and that popular film house A24 is in talks to board the project.Scott Cooper – who directed the Jeff Bridges-led Crazy Heart, Black Mass, Antlers and more – is slated to direct the upcoming film.

Bruce Springsteen returned to Las Vegas last night (March 22), greeting the city with a rendition of Elvis Presley’s ‘Viva Las Vegas’ – check out the footage below.The track was included as one of a number of surprise setlist inclusions at the show, which also saw songs like 1992’s ‘Roll of the Dice’ and 1978’s ‘Racing in the Street’ get their first outings in several years.It was the second show of the 2024 leg of Springsteen’s current world tour, which has restarted after the Boss had to postpone a hefty chunk of shows in 2023 due to health concerns.The worries arose towards the end of last year, when the singer-songwriter needed to be treated for peptic ulcer disease, and was forced to delay all of his shows after playing in New Jersey on September 3.On March 19, they returned to the stage in Phoenix, Arizona, playing a set incorporating tracks from across his extensive discography, ranging from his first album, ‘Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.’, through 2022’s ‘Only the Strong Survive’.Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band played in Las Vegas on March 22:‘Roll of the Dice’‘Lonesome Day’‘Prove It All Night’‘No Surrender’‘Ghosts’‘Letter to You’‘The Promised Land’‘Spirit in the Night’‘Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)’‘Nightshift’‘Mary’s Place’‘Hungry Heart’‘Racing in the Street’‘Last Man Standing’‘Backstreets’‘Because the Night’‘She’s the One’‘Wrecking Ball’‘The Rising’‘Badlands’‘Thunder Road’‘Viva Las Vegas’‘Born to Run’‘Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)’‘Glory Days’‘Dancing in the Dark’‘Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out’‘I’ll See You In My Dreams’In other Bruce Springsteen news, the Boss recently took part in Mark Knopfler’s star-studded charity re-recording of ‘Going Home’, which starred the likes of Queen‘s Brian May, Bruce

Mark Knopfler‘s Guitar Heroes have shared the official video for the new version of ‘Going Home’, which reveals a “who’s who” of guest collaborators on the track.The star-studded re-recording of Knopfler’s 1983 solo single was released last Friday (March 15), with all funds raised being donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.Clocking in at almost 10 minutes, the new take on the Local Hero theme song sees the Dire Straits frontman join forces with rock icons including the likes of Queen‘s Brian May, Bruce Springsteen, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.Additionally, the Guitar Heroes’ take on ‘Going Home’ includes the last ever recording by the late Jeff Beck – which he laid down for the single shortly before his death in January 2023.Knopfler also enlisted The Beatles‘ Ringo Starr on drums, Sting on bass and The Who frontman (and Teenage Cancer Trust patron) Roger Daltrey on harmonica.Arriving today (March 22), the music video for ‘Going Home’ reveals who plays which parts on the collaborative charity single.

AC/DC’s Brian Johnson and Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler are set to star in a new documentary series, named Johnson and Knopfler’s Music Legends. The six-part series will see the two classic rockers explore the lives of six other music legends, with the show set to run weekly on Sky Arts from April 25. Each episode will see Johnson and Knopfler examine the careers of, respectively, Tom Jones, Sam Fender, Cyndi Lauper, Nile Rodgers, Carlos Santana and Emmylou Harris, with the hosts also playing live with the guests on the episodes.

Mark Knopfler’s re-recorded version of his song ‘Going Home’ has been shared, starring contributions from some of the biggest names in the rock world. Check it out below.After being teased earlier this year, the track officially dropped today (March 15), and sees all funds raised being donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.A new take on Knopfler’s solo hit, the 2024 edition runs across nine-minutes, and sees the Dire Straits frontman join forces with rock icons including Queen‘s Brian May, Bruce Springsteen, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and many more.It also includes the last ever recording by guitar virtuoso, Jeff Beck – which he laid down for the track shortly before his death in January 2023.As well as the truly astonishing number of renowned guitarists on the track, Knopfler also enlisted The Beatles’ Ringo Starr on drums, Sting on bass, and The Who frontman (and Teenage Cancer Trust patron) Roger Daltrey on harmonica.The charity track was recorded at British Grove Studios in West London, and produced by Knopfler’s longtime collaborator Guy Fletcher.

The Dandy Warhols have shared their latest single, ‘I’d Like to Help You With Your Problem’, which features Slash on guitar. Check it out below.The song is set to be included on the band’s upcoming 12th studio album ‘Rockmaker’, which comes out on March 15 via Sunset Blvd.

Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler will be auctioning over 120 of his instruments at Christie’s in January.The rock veteran’s collection encompasses instruments used over his five-decade career, including the 1983 Gibson Les Paul used to record ‘Money For Nothing’ and ‘Brothers In Arms’, which was also played at the iconic Live Aid concert in 1985.Other instruments being sold include his coveted 1959 Gibson Les Paul, for an estimated £300,000 to £500,000, and a mandolin previously owned by blues player Yank Rachell, estimated at £300 to £500.25 per cent of the auction’s proceeds will benefit various charities, including the Red Cross, wildlife advocates Tusk, and children’s non-profit, Brave Hearts of the North East.Speaking to the BBC, the 74-year-old expressed that with age, he finally feels at peace with downsizing his guitar collection. “I’m looking now at about 20 guitars that I use to make records and there are at least 100 other ones that aren’t going to get played,” he said.

Dire Straits have turned down “huge amounts of money” to reform the band in recent years, one of their founding members has revealed. In an interview with The Telegraph, John Illsley, the bassist who was an ever-present in the ‘80s rock giants, confirmed that the band continue to receive major financial offers to get back together, but he also suggested that they remain uninterested.

Morfydd Clark is set to headline a biopic, titled “Making Noise,” about Evelyn Glennie, a deaf woman who became the world’s premier solo percussionist. Multi-Grammy winner Glennie, who hails from Scotland, experienced profound hearing loss as a child. But instead of giving up on her dream of making music, she instead went on to become a global star, performing with artists including Bjork, Underworld and Mark Knopfler.

The Darkness‘ Justin Hawkins has shared that he “gets nothing” from Red Hot Chili Pepper‘s guitarist John Frusciante, on his podcast.The frontman’s comments came from a recent episode of “How NOT to Write a Song,” his podcast in which he and his guest Pat Finnerty (of the YouTube series What Makes This Song Stink) discussed Frusciante and his guitar playing.“My issue with Red Hot Chili Peppers is that I get nothing from John Frusciante’s guitar playing. I feel like if we can call [Dire Straits’] Mark Knopfler an underrated player, I would describe John Frusciante as an overrated player.

David Benedict Charm, a sadly rare theatrical quality, is scarcely a fashionable theatrical virtue, but it’s nonetheless valuable. And, to audiences’ evident delight, it’s there in spades in director Daniel Evans’ wonderfully fluid farewell production at Chichester Festival Theatre. Turning Bill Forsyth’s 1983 Scottish eco-comedy-drama “Local Hero” into a musical, Evans and every member of his first-rate production team create an often-idiosyncratic delight, the stage equivalent of one of British cinema’s tender-hearted, quirky-yet-cosy Ealing comedies. What even he cannot give the show is true theatrical liftoff.  An earlier version, directed by John Crowley, played Edinburgh to pleasing reviews in 2018. Crowley left the project during the pandemic and Evans took over, keeping no one but Scots playwright David Greig, the music and lyrics of Mark Knopfler (formerly of Dire Straits), and lighting designer Paule Constable.

Adele, Sex Pistols, Wet Leg and more acts have been added to the White Label Auction next Tuesday (June 7).Buyers will have the chance to get their hands on white label pressings of Adele’s ’30’, the Sex Pistols’ single ‘God Save The Queen‘, a signed pressing of Wet Leg‘s self-titled debut and a white label pressing of Robbie Williams’ ‘I’ve Been Expecting You’.Also in the additions are: Mark Knopfler’s ‘Sailing To Philadelphia’, signed by the artist; the Human League’s ‘A Very British Synthesizer Group’, and Tom Speight’s ‘Everything’s Waiting For You’, which is also signed.The new collectible lots join previously announced test pressings by The Cure, Spice Girls, Coldplay, The Police, Eric Clapton, Simple Minds, Muse and many more.The Cure LP’s include the band’s albums ‘Disintegration’, ‘Pornography’, ‘Seventeen Seconds’, ‘Head On The Door’ and ‘Acoustic Hits’. You can view images of the signed copies by frontman Robert Smith below.Net profits from the auction will go to support the work of music industry charity The BRIT Trust, which since 1989 has donated around £28million to charities and causes that promote education and wellbeing through the power of music and the creative arts, such as the BRIT School and Nordoff-Robbins music therapy.

Sam Fender was the musical guest on last night’s (March 12) episode of Saturday Night Takeaway, continuing his love affair with local Geordie heroes Ant and Dec.Appearing as a surprise guest for the ‘End Of The Show Show’ segment of the pair’s ITV show, Fender performed his hit single ‘Seventeen Going Under’ before ending the show with a cover of Mark Knopfler‘s ‘Local Hero’, which has become an anthem in the North East.Along with footage of the ‘Seventeen Going Under’ performance, which saw Fender and his band performing in the dark before Ant and Dec comically plugged the lights in half way through, video has been shared of Dec cheering Fender’s drummer through a solo to end the ‘Local Hero’ rendition.Check out the videos below.Geordies taking over…..

Sam Fender will front a BBC Four documentary about Lindisfarne’s late frontman Alan Hull later this week.The film Lindisfarne’s Geordie Genius: The Alan Hull Story will see Fender tracing the ’70s band’s history – who were famous for hits such as ‘Lady Eleanor’ and ‘Fog On The Tyne’ – through Hull.The documentary will also feature a number of celebrity talking heads including Sting, Elvis Costello, Mark Knopfler, Eurythmics‘ Dave Stewart and Peter Gabriel.

Paul McCartney, The 1975, Liam Gallagher and Foals are among those donating prizes to a new campaign to help London’s homeless.Streets Of London, the registered charity which funds specialist support for people who are homeless in the capital, has kickstarted its #comeonhome campaign with a unique prize draw.Prizes in the draw include a signed gift box from McCartney, a meet and greet opportunity with The 1975, a Fender Stratocaster signed by Mark Knopfler, tickets and an overnight stay for

Strawberries (Killing Joke's members denied being aware of the song). The Damned riff is, in my view, actually the best of the three: it’s moody yet propulsive, and perfectly complements Dave Vanian’s glum vocal delivery.

Sixty years later and Ben E. King’s hit is still bringing people together.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorUniversal Music Group announced the relaunch of its iconic EMI label, with 20-year UMG veteran Rebecca Allen appointed president.

Mark Knopfler is bringing his fans on a journey of music discovery by hosting a new Sirius XM show, The British Grove Broadcast, the broadcasting company announced Tuesday (Feb. 25).The songwriter and producer will air his one-hour weekly show from his British Grove Studios in West London, where he will play some of his favorite songs from his personal record collection, which includes genres from early roots, blues and rock n’ roll to newcomers.