John Illsley rose to fame as the bass guitarist of the critically acclaimed band Dire Straits and has received multiple BRIT and Grammy Awards, and a Heritage Award. As a founding member, John played a major role in the development of the Dire Straits sound. Since the band's last tour in 1993 he has earned a reputation as a painter, with solo exhibitions in London, New York, Sydney and across Europe. He co-founded the children's charity Life Education in 1987, which was recently integrated into Coram. As a musician, John also has eight solo albums to his name. He owns a pub in the New Forest.
"An uplifting journey through the sheer hard work, pitfalls and thrills of navigating a great rock band to the pinnacle of success. I so enjoyed the ride! * Roger Taylor * Captures the early days of the ""English bands"" and their story. The ups and downs, relationships, craziness and fun... This really happened! * Mike Rutherford * A wry and witty account of life in one of the world's biggest and unlikeliest supergroups and the music industry in its heyday... John Illsley is a charming, amusing and observant companion. * Mariella Frostrup * Frank, funny and tender. If you loved their music, you'll adore this book. * Nicholas Evans * Fans will be mesmerized. * Publishers Weekly *"