Legendary guitarist Mark Knopfler, best known as the leader and creative force behind Dire Straits, has revealed which fellow guitar legend he always dreamed of playing with — and it’s a choice that speaks to both deep admiration and musical kinship.
Knopfler, whose fingerpicking style and lyrical melodic approach made him one of rock’s most influential guitar voices, said that the one player he consistently wanted to collaborate with was Eric Clapton — a fellow six-string master whose blues-rooted phrasing and tasteful restraint have inspired generations of players.
In a recent interview, Knopfler described Clapton as a musician he respects on both a technical and emotional level. Rather than simply idolizing his abilities, he said what he admired most was Clapton’s musicality — the way he serves a song first, and lets the guitar voice support the emotion and narrative rather than overpower it.
“I always wanted to play with Eric,” Knopfler said.
“Not because I want to compete, but because I’ve always felt we speak a similar musical language — one that values nuance, feel, and phrasing above all.”
Knopfler noted that Clapton’s work in the blues, rock and even more experimental contexts — from Cream to his solo career — demonstrated a rare blend of simplicity and depth, something Knopfler felt a deep connection to as an artist.
Although the two guitarists haven’t recorded extensively together, Knopfler pointed out that the admiration has always been mutual. Both players emerged from the British music scene with a deep grounding in blues tradition but quickly developed unique voices that set them apart.
Knopfler explained that part of what makes Clapton’s playing compelling is his ability to listen within the music — to find the right note at the right time, and to let silence between phrases be as meaningful as the notes themselves. He said that quality aligned with his own sensibilities and helped shape his idea of what meaningful guitar playing can be.
“It’s not about how fast you can play, it’s about what you say with what you play,” Knopfler explained.
“Eric always made the guitar feel like a storyteller’s voice — that’s what I always wanted to be part of.”
Mark Knopfler’s influence on guitar playing is profound. His work with Dire Straits — especially on songs like Sultans of Swing, Romeo and Juliet, and Brothers in Arms — combined clarity of tone, economy of notes, and lyrical phrasing in ways that helped redefine modern rock guitar.
Over the years, Knopfler has collaborated with numerous artists across genres, from Chet Atkins to Emmylou Harris, and has balanced solo work with film scoring and session playing. But his heartfelt comment about Clapton speaks to a lifelong appreciation of musical conversation between peers — not rivalry, but shared language.
This revelation from Knopfler adds color to the history of British guitar playing and the ways that iconic musicians influence one another. Rather than positioning his career in opposition to Clapton’s, Knopfler framed it as a lineage and dialogue — one where great players inspire each other to find their own voices.
For fans of guitar and rock history, his choice underscores how artistic admiration shapes musicians not just as technicians of their instrument, but as storytellers and interpreters of emotion.
