Dire Straits’ Bizarre Rock Hall 2018 Induction
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Dire Straits in 1978. l. to r.: John Illsley, Mark Knopfler, Pick Withers, David Knopfler (Photo from Wikipedia)
When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the names of those giving induction speeches for the Class of 2018, noticeably absent in the list was a name attached to Dire Straits. And in the days prior to the British band’s induction on April 14 at Cleveland’s Public Hall, members of the group acknowledged that neither group leader Mark Knopfler nor his brother David Knopfler would be joining the festivities.
It’s certainly not unprecedented. Paul McCartney famously didn’t attend The Beatles’ 1988 induction, amid “business differences” among the group that soured him at the time. The Sex Pistols were no-shows at their 2006 induction, with leader Johnny Rotten referring to the institution in a statement as “a piss stain.”
Mark Knopfler still hasn’t addressed his reasons for not attending. (The Guardian‘s headline blared “Sultan of Snub.”) His brother blamed the Hall of Fame for his own absence. Asked by a commenter on his Facebook page why he was boycotting the event, David Knopfler posted, “In their wisdom after promising to pay my expenses they reneged on their promise … I can well understand that with only $5 mil a year in sponsorships and 100k a table and no fees for the artist that paying my taxi to the airport must have given them heart murmurs like Squeers hearing Oliver Twist asking for more and frightened them into refusal otherwise one might get the wrong idea entirely about what they’re all about.”
(L-R) Inductees Alan Clark, Guy Fletcher and John Illsley of Dire Straits attend the 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Auditorium on April 14, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Kevin Kane/Getty Images for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; used with permission)
Shortly before the event, co-founder and bass guitarist John Illsley approached the organizers with a plan: he would induct the group. And so he did, addressing the proverbial 800-lb. elephant in the room… namely Mark Knopfler’s absence. “I can assure you it’s just a personal thing,” said Illsley. “Let’s just leave it at that.”
Illsley added, “I’m deeply honored to have my name included in such illustrious company. Music touches the lives of so many and it’s incredibly heartwarming to learn something you’ve been a part of has helped someone even in a small way.”
With just three members there, the band did not perform.
At the post-induction press conference, Illsley–who attended with keyboardists Alan Clark and Guy Fletcher–was asked about the unusual situation. “We didn’t have anybody to induct us, for all sorts of reasons. So I said, ‘Would it be crazy if I did it?’ A self-induction. I wrote it around 15 minutes before we came down.”
On April 17, Illsley tweeted a postscript
Being inducted into the 2018 @rockhall was a once in a lifetime experience and although it would have been great to play, it was still a huge honour to be there. Congratulations to all the other bands – Dire Straits is in good company. pic.twitter.com/usPhRmP0Na
— John Illsley (@John_Illsley) April 17, 2018
There’s more. Illsley published his memoir in 2021, My Life in Dire Straits. He told an interviewer, “I’m not sure politically it was handled very well, and I better leave it at that. It was joyous and sort of weird all at the same time. We got back to New York for a couple of days to try and recover and we just looked at each other — ‘What the hell was that?!’ But life throws up these things, and you just have to deal with it.”
As for Mark Knopfler, he finally acknowledged the induction. Sort of. He (or his social media team) shared a published story on his Facebook and Twitter accounts on April 18.
To celebrate the group’s 14 April 2018 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, here’s 20 of the best Dire Straits songs https://t.co/sZROLMfW6S
— Mark Knopfler (@MarkKnopfler) April 18, 2018
Knopfler had a very busy 2019 with an extensive tour. When he tours again, tickets can be purchased here and here. He released a studio album, Down the Road Wherever, in 2018.
He’s also composed music for a stage production of the 1983 Scottish comedy-drama film Local Hero.
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2 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationSo many stories seem to confirm the RRHOF staff is just a bunch of infantile pillocks.
The RNRHOF is just a horror. They are everything RNR isn’t. They’re a bunch of corporate suits making tons of money off of the artists/bands. They make it look like an honor to be inducted but there are more snubs every year than there are inductees. They have all theses stupid rules but they’re broken for certain artists. It’s truly based on who makes people in the business the most money. How can you say one band or artist is more deserving than another. The Oscars are the same stupid shit. Who’s the best actor or picture is immaterial coz again, it’s all about money and unfair to say one actor is better than another. The RNRHOF was so desperate that they asked Dolly Parton to get inducted and she politely declined. I have a whole new respect for her and other artists like Steve Miller or Todd Rundgren who diss the RNRHOF. The whole board are a bunch of assholes profiting off the names in music and giving the illusion that’s it’s a privilege to be inducted. No one cares who makes it in or not especially most of the artists. RNR is about going against the establishment and you are the guys who represent the establishment so in the truth of RNR I say “f*ck your little group of nobodies and corporate suits…