David Knopfler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Knopfler
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Knopfler performing during 2017
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| Background information | |
| Born | 27 December 1952 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Origin | Blyth, Northumberland, England |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels | Phonogram, Cypress, Peach River, Ariola |
| Associated acts | Dire Straits, John Illsley, Alan Clark, Omar Hakim, Jack Sonni |
David Knopfler (born 27 December 1952) is a British musician. He is best known for helping to start the famous rock band Dire Straits in 1977. He played rhythm guitar for the band's first two albums. David left the band in 1980 and began his own music career, releasing many solo albums.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
David Knopfler was born in Glasgow, Scotland. When he was four, his family moved to Newcastle upon Tyne, England, where he grew up.
David loved music from a young age. By the time he was 11, he already had a guitar, a piano, and a drum kit. When he was 14, he was playing his own songs and singing them in local folk clubs. After finishing college, David worked as a social worker in London before focusing on music full-time.
David's Family Life
David Knopfler is married to Leslie Stroz, who used to be an art professor. Leslie often creates the artwork for David's CD covers. He lives with his family in Wolborough, a small area in Devon, England.
Music Career
Starting Dire Straits
David Knopfler introduced his older brother, Mark Knopfler, to his friend and flatmate, John Illsley, who played bass guitar. After they found a drummer named Pick Withers, the four musicians formed the rock band Dire Straits.
A friend of Mark's came up with the band's name. Some people thought it meant the band was having money problems when they started. However, David has said that they all had other jobs until they got a big advance from their record company. So, they weren't really in "dire straits" (meaning a very bad situation) financially.
Playing with Dire Straits
David Knopfler played rhythm guitar in Dire Straits, while his brother Mark was the lead guitarist and main singer. David played on the band's first two albums: Dire Straits (released in 1978) and Communiqué (released in 1979).
Making two albums and touring a lot was very stressful for the brothers. David decided to leave the band in 1980 while they were recording their third album, Making Movies. Because he left during recording, he is not officially listed on that album.
David's Solo Music Career
After leaving Dire Straits, David Knopfler started his solo career. His first solo album, Release, came out in 1983. Interestingly, both Mark Knopfler and John Illsley from Dire Straits played on this album. The song "Soul Kissing" from this album even reached No. 87 on the UK music charts.
David released his second album, Behind the Lines, in 1985, and his third, Cut the Wire, in 1986. In 1988, his fourth album, Lips Against the Steel, was released in the U.S.
David also wrote music for movies, including Shergar (1984) and Laser Mission (1989). He also created music for several German films.
In 1991, he released Lifelines, which was recorded at Peter Gabriel's famous Real World Studios. He continued to release albums throughout the 1990s and 2000s, often working with his friend Harry Bogdanovs. Some of his albums, like Wishbones (2001) and Ship of Dreams (2004), featured guest musicians like Chris Rea.
In May 2005, David Knopfler also published a book of poetry called Blood Stones and Rhythmic Beasts.
He continued to release new music, including Songs for the Siren in 2006. He also worked on songs with other artists like Megan Slankard. From 2007 to 2009, he performed many acoustic and electric concerts in different countries, including Germany, Switzerland, and Australia.
In 2011, he released a double album called Acoustic, which featured unplugged versions of his songs. David kept touring in various countries from 2012 to 2015. A live album, Made in Germany, was released in 2013.
More recently, David Knopfler has released several new albums: Last Train Leaving (2020), Songs of Loss and Love (2020), Shooting for the Moon (2021), and Skating on the Lake (2022). His latest album, Crow Gifts, was released in 2024.
Albums with Dire Straits
- 1978 – Dire Straits
- 1979 – Communiqué
- 1980 – Making Movies (David left during recording and is not credited on the final album)
- 1988 – Money for Nothing (a collection of songs)
- 1995 – Live at the BBC
- 1998 – Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits (a collection of songs)
- 2005 – The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations (a collection of songs)
- 2015 – The Honky Tonk Demos (an EP, which is a shorter album)
- 2023 – Live at the Rainbow, 1979
David's Solo Albums
- 1983 – Release
- 1985 – Behind the Lines
- 1986 – Cut The Wire
- 1988 – Lips Against The Steel
- 1991 – Lifelines
- 1993 – The Giver
- 1995 – Small Mercies
- 2001 – Wishbones
- 2004 – Ship of Dreams
- 2006 – Songs For The Siren
- 2009 – Anthology: 1983–2008
- 2011 – Acoustic (with Harry Bogdanovs)
- 2013 – Made In Germany (Live in Erfurt) (with Harry Bogdanovs)
- 2015 – Grace
- 2016 – Anthology Vol. 2 & 3
- 2019 – Heartlands
- 2020 – Last Train Leaving
- 2020 – Songs of Loss and Love
- 2021 – Anthology Volume Four
- 2021 – Shooting For The Moon
- 2022 – Skating On The Lake
- 2024 – Crow Gifts
See also
In Spanish: David Knopfler para niños
- List of film score composers
- List of people from Newcastle upon Tyne
- List of poets
- List of rhythm guitarists
