Dire Straits Picture and Photo Gallery:

Led by gifted guitarist and songwriter Mark Knopfler, the English band Dire Straits took bluesy pub rock to new levels becoming one of the most popular groups amongst baby boomers in the mid1980s. Formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals), his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsely (bass), and Pick Withers (drums), the band's first taste of stardom came with the release of the single, "Sultans of Swing" off their 1978 self-titled album, so named because of the financial crises the band members were facing during its recording.