John Illsley
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John Illsley |
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John Illsley (born on 24 June 1949, in Leicester, England) was the bass player for the British rock band Dire Straits. Introduced to lead singer and guitarist Mark Knopfler by Mark's brother, David Knopfler, Illsley was one of just two original band members remaining when it broke up in 1995.
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Illsley attended Bromsgrove School, Worcestershire and a Further Education College near Kettering before starting work as a management trainee for a timber firm. He then studied Sociology at Goldsmiths College, University of London and opened a record shop with his girlfriend. Whilst in London, he joined the band that became Dire Straits.
As well as playing Bass Guitar on all the Dire Straits
recordings, Illsley also contributed vocals to their
Illsley released two albums of his own, Never Told A Soul in 1984 and Glass in 1988. His first album had clear Dire Straits influences, however, his style had notably changed by the second. Mark Knopfler contributed some of the guitar parts on both issues.
In 2005 Illsley happened upon an Irish Celtic
rock group called Cunla, who were playing at a friend's party in the
UK. For the first time since '93 he took to the stage and played a
couple of Dire Straits numbers with the
band. They struck up a friendship and Cunla played at Illsley's place
in Hampshire. He then appeared with them on several occasions in their
hometown of Mullingar,
most notably at The Stables venue, and he has since become a 'member'
of the group alongside Irishmen Greg Pearle on vocals and guitar,
Johnny Owens on violin, fiddle and electric guitar, Jason Carroll on
bass and Stephen O'Keeffe on drums and percussion. They have a heady,
energetic Celtic rock sound and in their early days had a reputation as
being a hellraising band who took no prisoners. Illsley has tamed them
somewhat and they have recorded together, and played gigs in select
places, including a couple in France. They cover a couple of Dire
Straits numbers, albeit in an Irish style, with Johnny Owens replacing
all keyboards and brass parts with traditional Irish violin. They also
have a large amount of their own material, much of it penned by Pearle.
They are due to return to
Cunla played a big Mullingar gig on November 18th, 2006 at the Greville Arms Hotel. It was their last gig of the year, and all proceeds went to local charities.
Away from music, John Illsley is known for his campaigns against drugs. He does enjoy an occasional pint of Guinness though. He also runs a pub in Hampshire, which was featured TV Chef Rick Steins series 'Food Heroes'serving traditional ales.
Illsley is a keen painter, and promised himself that he would take it up to a greater extent once Dire Straits stopped touring. A first exhibition of his work is being shown at the Nevill Keating McIlroy Gallery, Pickering Place, London SW1 in early summer 2007.
| Dire Straits |
|---|
| Mark Knopfler | John Illsley
Alan Clark | Guy
Fletcher | David Knopfler | Pick
Withers | Hal Lindes | |
| Discography |
| Albums and extended plays: |
| Hit Singles: Sultans
of Swing | Lady Writer | |
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