Dire Straits guitarist Jack Sonni has died

A myth is gone: Jack Sonni, the guitarist of Dire Straits, has died at the age of 68. Not much is known about the causes of his passing: there were rumors that he had some health problems, that he could not play at concerts. And then came the message on social media: «A sad farewell to our old friend Jack Sonni, whom we met while working at Rudy’s Music Stop on 48th St. Jack was a true guitar enthusiast who loved to play, play and talk with guitars and amps all day.”

Born in Indiana in December 1954, after studying at the Conservatory, Jack Sonni founded the band The Leisure Class. While working at a music store, he met David and Mark Knobfler and from there his professional story had a turning point: despite having been confirmed for world tours, he was not included in the list of official members of the band, but he has always been there in important moments, including for Brothers In Armsthe fifth Dire Straits album, which became the British band’s most commercially successful, one of the best-selling albums in rock history.

And while, from time to time, he plays with i Dire Straits, Sleep he also collaborates with other musicians until 1988, the year in which he retires from the scene for a few years to follow his two newborn twins Caitlin and Nadine. He then begins a second career as a manager, which will lead him to collaborate with companies of the caliber of Seymour Duncan, Rivera Amplifiers, Line 6 (in which he holds the role of marketing director), and finally with the large chain of music stores Guitar Center, of which he becomes vice president (the chain boasts over 250 stores throughout the United States). In 2006 he also left this career. He traveled a lot and loved to write. However, his music never left her, continuing to play regularly with his group, i Los Perros de Amor.