The 'Brothers in Arms' band are devastated as they announce on social media that their former member Jack Sonni has recently passed away at the age of 68.
- Aug 31, 2023
AceShowbiz - Dire Straits guitarist Jack Sonni has passed away aged 68. Famous as "the other guitarist" during the iconic group's "Brothers in Arms" era, his passing was confirmed by the band on X.
"#JackSonni (guitar emoji) Rest In Peace (praying hands emoji) #DireDStraits," they said alongside a black and white picture of the musician on stage.
#JackSonni 🎸 Rest In Peace 🙏#DireStraitspic.twitter.com/W3vx65bY5h
— Dire Straits 🎸 (@DireStraits77) August 31, 2023
His cause of death has not yet been revealed.
"Brothers in Arms" was the fifth album released by Dire Straits in 1985.
Jack had been working at the iconic New York City guitar shop Rudy's Music Stop in the 1970s when he first met the band's co-founders David and Mark Knopfler. He played alongside the group at 1985's Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium and news of his passing, which was posted by the band on Thursday, August 31, is prompting a flood of tributes from fans.
Born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, after his collaboration with Dire Straits, Jack went on to contribute to a series of other musicians' works but ended his professional musical career when his twin daughters were born in 1988.
He began a second career as a marketing executive, first at Seymour Duncan, then Rivera Guitar Amplifiers followed by several years as director of marketing communications at Line 6, a manufacturer of digital technology products for musicians.
In 2001, he became vice president of marketing communication for Guitar Center. In the summer of 2006, Sonni left Guitar Center to write books, moving to San Jose del Cabo, then California.
He was writer-in-residence and House Manager at the Noepe Center for Literary Arts on Martha's Vineyard until its closure in 2017. He had also returned to playing music on a regular basis with his band, The Leisure Class.
