Jack Sonni, known as “the other guitarist” in the British rock group Dire Straits, died Wednesday at the age of 68.
The band announced Sonni’s death on X (formerly Twitter) with a post including a black-and-white photo of the guitarist, who rose to fame when he joined the band for their iconic “Brothers in Arms” album and tour.
“#JackSonni Rest In Peace. #DireStraits.”
It is currently unknown how the music legend passed away.
The news of Sonni’s death comes after a recent post on the Dire Straits Legacy website, run by former band members, sharing that their bandmate was in poor health.
“Dear fans, unfortunately, Jack Sonni will not be able to participate in our next gigs because of health problems. Jack get better soon, we are waiting for you! With love, the DSL family,” read the message.
Since the announcement, fans have left tributes to the late rock star on social media.
“Very sad news. He was only 10 years older than me,” tweeted one fan.
“I worked with Jack — didn’t know him too well but he was one of those guys you knew was awesome because everyone said he was.” claimed a second person.
“So sad to hear this, remember Jack at Wembley in ‘85. Rest in Peace,” recalled a third person.
In addition, several other fans have left hundreds of personal tributes on the singer’s Facebook page.
The Post reached out to Sonni’s reps for comment.
Born in a West Pennsylvania town called Indiana, Sonni picked up piano, the guitar and trumpet at a very young age.
“Music has been part of my life as long as I can remember,” claimed Sonni in a previous interview on the Dire Straits site. “My parents loved music, my mother played piano, and my dad was always listening to Sinatra, country, and early rock n roll.”
According to the late musician, once he picked up guitar at the age of eight he “never put it down.”
“I started playing in front of people straight away — in church then coffeehouses and then in bands playing school dances,” recalled Sonni. “After one year I left college to attend music school. After graduating I played in a local band doing 6 nights a week on a club circuit performing everything from jazz standards to Top 40 hits.”
After moving to New York in the late 1970s, Sonni began working at Rudy’s Music Stop where he encountered the band’s co-founders David and Mark Knopfler.
In 1984, Sonni was asked to play guitar synthesizer in the band’s recording of “The Man’s Too Strong” for the group’s fifth album, “Brothers in Arms.”
Sonni appeared with the group nearly a year later during the Dire Straits’ world tour from 1985 to 1986.
The rock star left Dire Straits in 1988 to get “a day job in marketing and advertising” and to focus “on raising my twin daughters.”