John Illsley

John Illsley

Born: June 24, 1949
in Leicester, England, UK
John Edward Illsley (born 24 June 1949) is an English musician, best known as bass guitarist of the rock band Dire Straits. With it, he has received multiple BRIT and Grammy Awards, and a Heritage Award.

As one of the founding band members, with guitarist brothers Mark and David Knopfler, and drummer Pick Withers, Illsley played a role in the development of Dire Straits' sound. By the time the group disbanded in 1995 changes in personnel meant that Illsley and lead singer Mark Knopfler were the only two original band members remaining. Illsley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Dire Straits in 2018.

Illsley has produced two albums of his own, with Mark Knopfler as a guest musician, and has helped with Mark's personal projects and charities. He released two more albums, influenced by the Celtic-based band Cunla.

Movies for John Illsley...

Twenty Eighteen Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Title: Twenty Eighteen Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Released: April 14, 2018
Type: Movie
Recorded live, this special honors fivenew performer category inductees: Bon Jovi, The Cars, Nina Simone, The Moody Blues and Dire Straits.
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Live Aid: 20 Years Ago Today
Title: Live Aid: 20 Years Ago Today
Character: Self
Released: July 13, 2005
Type: Movie
This concert film was created for the London premiére launch of Live Aid on dvd in November 2004. It contains selected highlights of the marathon fundraising concert that took place across two continents with worldwide TV coverage on july 13, 1985. The event was never re-broadcast and never available until the release of the Live Aid 4-dvd set almost 20 years later. The 52-minute premiére version allows you to relive the experience that was Live Aid with songs and excerpts from more than 40 live performances from the event
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Dire Straits: Sultans of Swing, The Very Best of Dire Straits
Title: Dire Straits: Sultans of Swing, The Very Best of Dire Straits
Released: August 1, 1998
Type: Movie
Sultans of swing - Lady writer - Romeo and Juliet - Tunnel of love - Private investigations - Twisting by the pool - Love over gold (live 1983) - So far away - Money for nothing - Brothers in arms - Walk of life - Calling Elvis - Heavy fuel - On every street (live 1992) - Your latest trick (live 1992) - Local hero - Wild theme (live 1992)
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Dire Straits: On The Night
Title: Dire Straits: On The Night
Character: Himself - Bass, Vocals, Guitar
Released: May 11, 1993
Type: Movie
Music from Dire Straits, recorded live in concert in 1991. Tracks include: "Calling Elvis", "Walk Of Life", "Heavy Fuel", "Romeo And Juliet", "Private Investigations", "Your Latest Trick", "On Every Street", "You And Your Friend", "Money For Nothing", "The Bug", "Solid Rock", "Local Hero", "Wild Theme" and "Brothers In Arms".
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Dire Straits: The Last Concert - Zaragoza 1992
Title: Dire Straits: The Last Concert - Zaragoza 1992
Character: Himself - Bass, Vocals
Released: October 9, 1992
Type: Movie
This DVD is of the Last concert ever performed by the band Dire Straits. It was the 211th scheduled concert of the huge 'On Every Street' World tour which had commenced 14 months earlier on Friday, 23 August 1991 at the Point Depot The, Point Depot Dublin, Ireland. The tour was the British rock bands' swansong tour, and played in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. The tour reportedly sold 7.1 million tickets.
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Dire Straits: Autumn in Nimes
Title: Dire Straits: Autumn in Nimes
Character: Himself - Bass
Released: September 28, 1992
Type: Movie
Dire Straits show at Les Arènes de Nîmes 1992 festival in Southern France. Dire Straits is a British rock band formed in Deptford in the summer of 1977 by Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals), his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass) and Pick Withers (drums). Considered one of the greatest rock bands of the 1980s, Dire Straits has sold over 120 million albums since its inception.
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Dire Straits - Live In Basel
Title: Dire Straits - Live In Basel
Character: Himself - Bass Guitar, Vocals
Released: June 28, 1992
Type: Movie
Concert held at St. Jacob Stadium in Basel, Switzerland, 28.06.1992, during the On Every Street tour. One of the best concerts of Dire Straits.
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Dire Straits with Eric Clapton - Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
Title: Dire Straits with Eric Clapton - Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
Character: bass
Released: June 11, 1988
Type: Movie
The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute was a popular-music concert staged on June 11, 1988 at Wembley Stadium, London and broadcast to 67 countries and an audience of 600 million. It was also referred to as Freedomfest, Free Nelson Mandela Concert and Mandela Day. In the US, the Fox television network heavily censored the political aspects of the concert.
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Dire Straits: Thank You Australia and New Zealand
Title: Dire Straits: Thank You Australia and New Zealand
Character: Himself - Bass, Vocals
Released: April 26, 1986
Type: Movie
In 1985, Dire Straits embarked on a world tour of unprecedented proportions. Promoting their hit album Brothers in Arms, the tour included a thirteen-night residence at Wembley Arena (featuring Eric Clapton helping out) and a brief jaunt at Live Aid (featuring Sting), before winding up in Australia in the Spring of 86. They ended with a 21-night stand at Sydney's Entertainment Center, packing the place every night, and wrapping it all up with one final show on April 26th. Featuring the one-off calypso version of "So Far Away" and an impromtu version of the Australian folk anthem "Walktzing Matilda" (with the whole stadium providing the vocals), it is truly a show for the ages. This show represents a band at their very finest, a band that has perfected the art of transitioning from structured verse/chorus parts to solos and back, bringing the audience along on an emotional and gorgeous journey for each and every song.
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Dire Straits at Live Aid
Title: Dire Straits at Live Aid
Released: July 13, 1985
Type: Movie
The band with Sting perform at Wembley
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Live Aid
Title: Live Aid
Character: Self
Released: July 13, 1985
Type: Movie
Live Aid was held on 13 July 1985, simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, United States. It was one of the largest scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: watched live by an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion, across 150 nations. "It's twelve noon in London, seven AM in Philadelphia, and around the world it's time for Live Aid...!"
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Dire Straits: Live at Wembley Arena
Title: Dire Straits: Live at Wembley Arena
Character: Bass
Released: July 10, 1985
Type: Movie
On July 10th, 1985, under the inspiring eye and ear of master guitarist and frontman Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits gave a concert at the famous Wembley Stadium in London. This performance was a show full of hits including ‘So Far Away’, ‘Sultans of Swing’, ‘Why Worry’, ‘Money For Nothing’, ‘Private Investigations’ and of course the beautiful ‘Brothers In Arms’. The gig included two guest players; Nils Lofgren and Hank B. Marvin.
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Dire Straits: Alchemy Live
Title: Dire Straits: Alchemy Live
Character: Bass Guitar
Released: June 17, 1984
Type: Movie
Alchemy is a double live album originally released in 1984 with an accompanying VHS, now released on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time. Recorded on 23rd July 1983 at the Hammersmith Odeon, London.
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Arena: Dire Straits
Title: Arena: Dire Straits
Character: Self
Released: December 22, 1980
Type: Movie
Arena cameras were on hand to film the return of Dire Straits from their triumphant 1980 Brothers in Arms world tour. The film features a superb concert they played at The Rainbow, and band members talk about their music and the pressures and the consequences of success.
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Dire Straits: Live at Rockpalast 1979
Title: Dire Straits: Live at Rockpalast 1979
Character: bass guitar, vocals
Released: February 16, 1979
Type: Movie
A classic early live show from Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits, performed in Germany in 1979. This release captures the original band in their first brush of international success - Mark and Dave Knopfler on lead and rhythm guitars, John Illsley on bass, Pick Withers on drums. For all its newfound success, Dire Straits here puts on a carefully polished, musically serious show, full of the nuance and intelligence that characterized the band s memorable career in Rock. A very young Mark Knopfler is of course front and center, with his trademark Dylan-influenced vocals, seductive guitar playing, and dark and thoughtful songs. Those songs include beloved numbers from their breakout self-titled debut album ('Sultans Of Swing', Down To The Waterline, Six Blade Knife and others) as well as a batch of tracks from their forthcoming sophomore album including Lady Writer and Once Upon A Time In The West. 16 tracks. Immortal.
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Title: Rockpalast
Released: October 4, 1974
Type: TV