Jack Sonni, left, with Dire Straits in 1985
Photo: Redferns, Gabor Scott. All rights reserved.
Guitarist Jack Sonni, who joined Dire Straits in the mid ’80s and also performed with the band on Live Aid, died on Thursday (31 August) at the age of 68. This was announced by his former bandmates via X, formerly Twitter. “Rest In Peace Jack Sonnie”it says there for a black and white picture from the common past.
Sonni most recently performed with the nostalgia group Dire Straits Legacy. A few days ago it became known that the guitarist could not take part in the planned performances due to health problems. A cause of death was not made known at first.
Jack Sonni was born John Sonni on December 9, 1954 in Indiana, Pennsylvania. His musical talent developed early. After trying out the piano and trumpet, he switched to the guitar, played in various local bands (including Leisure Class in New York) and worked in a musical instrument shop. There, as legend has it, Sonni met David and Mark Knopfler. They hit it off right away and Knopfler later invited Sonni to record Brothers In Arms after Hal Lindes had left the group.
Jack Sonni shaped the guitar style on one of the most important guitar albums of the 80s
Sonni played an important role in developing the album’s sound, particularly the guitar work. His playing complemented Knopfler’s signature fingerpicking guitar playing and helped create one of the most formative albums of the decade – with hits like “Walk Of Life”, “Money For Nothing” and the title track “Brothers In Arms”. Sonni’s work can be heard most notably on The Man’s Too Strong, where he was on guitar synth. However, the song was not released as a single.
A career highlight was then the joint stage appearance with the Dire Straits at Live Aid in 1985 and an extensive tour. After that, Sonni left the band when Mark Knopfler emancipated himself from his group and wanted to go solo. He remained active as a musician throughout his life, but after the birth of his children he only worked in the shadow of other musicians and bands. In addition, Sonni began a second career as a marketing manager and later as a promoter for the development of digital technologies for musicians. He also made a name for himself as an author.