John Illsley Reveals Why Mark Knopfler Will Miss Rock Hall Induction

Dire Straits co-founder John Illsley says that frontman Mark Knopfler just didn’t feel like showing up to the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions this week in Cleveland.More »

By on April 13, 2018

Dire Straits co-founder John Illsley says that frontman Mark Knopfler just didn’t feel like showing up to the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions this week in Cleveland. “He just didn’t feel like coming, it’s as simple as that,” he tells Billboard. “It just didn’t appeal to him, and I appealed to him on several occasions. I said, ‘Look, I’d love you to get your head around this.’ He said, ‘Look, I just can’t do it, John. I’m really sorry. It’s a great honor for us and all the rest of it, and I just can’t get my head around it,’ so I’ve just got to respect it. He’s got his reasons, which he really doesn’t want to share with me which is unusual because we’ve shared most things over the years.” Illsley adds that Knopfler said, ‘Look, I just can’t deal with it. I don’t really want to deal with it.’ So I said, ‘OK, I’ll go over, accept the award on your behalf and all the rest of the guys that aren’t there and that’ll be it. So that’s what’s happening.” Illsley noted that he does have “room in the case” to bring Knopfler’s induction trophy back to England. Copyright(c) 2018 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedLess «