Dire Straits guitarist Jack Sonni dead at 68 after ‘health problems’

Dire Straits musician Jack Sonni has died soon after it was revealed he was suffering from “health problems” and was forced to pull out of gigs.

Dire Straits legend Jack Sonni, who was widely known as the band’s “other guitarist,” has died.

Dire Straits legend Jack Sonni, who was affectionately known as the British band’s “other guitarist,” has died at the age of 68, the group announced on Thursday.

The rock n’ roll band posted a black and white photo of Sonni on X, formerly known as Twitter, with the caption: “#JackSonni Rest In Peace #DireStraits“.

The official Facebook account for Dire Straits Legacy, a band that Sonni participated in alongside other former members of Dire Straits, also shared the news.

“Our beloved Jack has left a void in our heart and soul,” the statement read. “We will miss you so much. You are forever with us.”

His cause of death is unknown, but he was reportedly suffering unspecified health issues earlier this week.

Dire Straits legend Jack Sonni, who was widely known as the band’s “other guitarist,” has died.

Sonni was believed to be focusing on writing around the time of his death.

On Tuesday, Dire Straits Legacy, announced on social media that Sonni wouldn’t be participating in upcoming gigs “because of health problems.”

“Dear fans, unfortunately, Jack Sonni will not be able to participate in our next gigs because of health problems,” the post read.

“Jack get better soon, we are waiting for you! With love, the DSL family.”

Tributes poured in for the musician from around the world as news of his death spread on Thursday.

“Very sad news. He was only 10 years older than me,” one fan tweeted.

“I worked with Jack — didn’t know him too well but he was one of those guys you knew was awesome because everyone said he was,” another wrote.

“So sad to hear this, remember Jack at Wembley in ‘85. Rest in Peace,” a third person said.

In addition, other fans have left hundreds of personal tributes on the artist’s Facebook page.

#JackSonni 🎸 Rest In Peace 🙏#DireStraitspic.twitter.com/W3vx65bY5h

— Dire Straits 🎸 (@DireStraits77) August 31, 2023

Sonni joined the band in 1984 and joked about his role as a guitarist behind Mark Knopfler during the London band’s Brothers in Arms era, famously calling himself “the other guitar player,” a nickname that stuck because the Knopflers also played the instrument.

Brothers in Arms was the fifth album that was released by Dire Straits in 1985 and went on to become the eighth-best-selling album in UK history. It has sold more than nine million copies in the US alone. It included some of the band’s most famous hits, including Walk Of Life, Money For Nothing and Brothers In Arms.

Sonni played with the band during its two-song performance for the massive famine-relief concert Live Aid in July 1985, with Dire Straits slotting in between U2 and Queen at London’s Wembley Stadium, Deadline reports.

Some 72,000 fans packed the venue, and estimates for the global live TV audience range up to 1.9 billion in more than 150 countries.

Unlike his fellow Dire Straits bandmates, Sonni was American-born.

He had been working at the famous New York guitar shop Rudy’s Music Stop in the 1970s when he first met Dire Straits’ co-founders David and Mark Knopfler, The Daily Telegraph reports.

He visited the Knopflers in London after David Knopfler left the band, and was asked to join the band for the 1984 recording sessions for Brothers in Arms.

He was believed to be focusing on writing around the time of his death.

In his final Facebook post on June 2, he wrote: “Well chilluns, the last social media post for the foreseeable future as I dive into getting my novel in shape for my agent’s publisher hunt. Play nice & be kind to one another! And hug them while you can.”

A bio on Sonni’s website ends with a similar sentiment: “And he is one who knows the supreme importance of hugging them while you can…because Tomorrow Never Knows.”

Originally published as Dire Straits guitarist Jack Sonni dead at 68 after ‘health problems’