It seems like every time I turn around, another entertainer from my youth is passing away.
If you are in my generation, you surely walked the halls of your school singing "So Far Away."
Sadly, Jack Sonni, the former guitarist for the band, has passed, reported People.
He's gone
Dire Straits had a handful of albums, but three of them had songs that went absolutely nuclear on the charts.
"Brothers in Arms," "Dire Straits," and "Making Movies" were, by far, the three that stick out in my mind.
The first song I can remember hearing from them was from the eponymous album. "Sultan's of Swing" came out in 1978 on the "Dire Straits" album and it remains one of their top songs today.
In 1980, "Making Movies" came out, featuring a few hits, with "Skateaway," "Tunnel of Love," and "Romeo and Juliet" among the best hits.
In 1985, Dire Straits blew up with "Brothers in Arms." This was the year I graduated and they were one of my favorite bands at the time (I say that having about a dozen "favorite" bands in those years).
"Money for Nothing," "Walk of Life," and "So Far Away" all came from that album.
As we see with many bands, all that success led to burnout and problems, and the band broke up in 1987 for a spell.
In 1991, the band got back together, but it did not last long. Sonni was gone by this time, replaced by Phil Palmer, and the band was simply not what it was a decade prior.
They released "On Every Street" that year, and it would be the final studio album produced by the group.
Dire Straits posted on Facebook after Sonni's death was announced, "Our beloved Jack has left a void in our heart and soul… we will miss you so much, you are forever with us."
The cause of death has not yet been released, but Sonni had been having some serious health problems as of late, being forced to cancel a couple of gigs.
Sonni was known for wearing a red suit on stage, as he did for the Dire Straits-Sting set for Live Aid…
For his fans, he did leave one final gift... a blog posting called "Reflections of Loss & Grief." (To read the post in full, click here).
Rest in peace, Jack, and thanks for the memories.
