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.”

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

A year later, 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, and a follow-up, One Deep River, in 2024.

He’s also composed music for a stage production of the 1983 Scottish comedy-drama film Local Hero.

Dire Straits’ recordings, including several boxed sets, are available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.

Related: Links for 100s of classic rock tours