Mark Knopfler (GB)

About

Also known as: Mark Freuder Knopfler, Mark Knofler, Mark Knopfler & His Band, Mark Nofler, Марк Кнопфлер

Few guitarists have a tone as instantly recognisable as Mark Knopfler's. His fingerpicking style, developed almost by accident when he was forced to play a warped acoustic strung with extra light strings, became the signature sound of Dire Straits and one of the most distinctive voices in rock. As the band's lead guitarist, singer and songwriter from 1977 to 1995, he helped sell somewhere between 100 and 120 million records, with Brothers in Arms alone becoming one of the best selling albums in history. Rolling Stone ranked him 27th on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Beyond Dire Straits, Knopfler has built an equally impressive solo catalogue, now stretching to ten albums, and has composed film scores for nine movies including Local Hero, The Princess Bride and Wag the Dog. He has also produced records for Bob Dylan, Tina Turner and Randy Newman. In 2018 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Dire Straits, and he holds four Grammy Awards alongside a string of other honours.