It appears unlikely that either Mark Knopfler or his brother David, founding members of Dire Straits will be present at the induction of the band into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame which takes place next Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio.
Both Mark and David Knopfler have individually expressed that they probably will not be there, David through a Facebook comment and Mark in a recent interview with radio station WNCX. Mark Knopfler declared his wish that Bob Dylan or Eric Clapton would induct the band, but no presenters for Dire Straits have been announced as yet, according to Stereogum.
The other inductees on the night include Bon Jovi, The Cars, The Moody Blues, Nina Simone and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
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It is believed that among the six Dire Straits members being officially inducted, only Alan Clark, John Illsley, and Guy Fletcher will attend.
In a Q&A former DS keyboardist Fletcher said that a "video presentation" will take the place of a traditional performance.
Whatever about "no shows" from founding members, the show must go on and the official Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame website carries the following citation concerning Dire Straits.
"Mixed with blues and a dash of country – the dire straits were one of the few rock bands to break out in an era dominated by punk and disco. The introspective lyrics with out-of-this-world guitar and drum sounds made them one of the most original rock bands of the 80s."
The band's most popular album, Brothers in Arms, recorded at Air Studios in the Caribbean island of Montserrat was released in May 1985. The album, which included the mega hit Money for Nothing has sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide. It is the fourth best selling album in UK chart history.
