On Wednesday, August 30, 2023, Jack Sonni transitioned from this world. At the time, he was playing with the Dire Straits Legacy Tour.
While I was familiar with the band Dire Straits and the Brothers In Arms era during which he referred to himself as “the other guitarist,” I knew Jack through his love for writing. On two separate occasions, we were both at Noepe, a writers’ residency on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Although he played music at various locations and events around the island, he had a burning desire to express himself through words in addition to his guitar strings.
In April 2015, at the time of my interview with Jack, he was working on a noir crime novel and a memoir, and metabolizing the extraordinary success and fame he experienced during his time with the band. I had the feeling he wanted people to know he had more interests than music, and while it was his claim to fame and one of his loves, it was a chapter and not the whole story of Jack Sonni.
Between that snapshot in time and his untimely death, he would experience the loss of one of his beloved daughters in a tragic car crash, undertake a major move, reunite with former Dire Straits musicians, and publish a novel. If anyone knew the extremes of life’s joys and despairs, it was Jack Sonni.
Jack was not afraid to try new things, loved cooking for his friends and family, and as another residency member said, was always kind. I dubbed him ‘Gentleman Chef.’ He loved that nickname and was proud of our interview, both of which make me very happy.
Rest in peace, Jack. I hope you are still rocking and writing when we meet again.
**Renee Johnson is the author of To Ride a Wylder Horse, Reminiscing Over Rainbow Gelato, Behind The Mask, Herald Angels, Acquisition, and The Haunting of William Gray. She is currently working on a sweet romance and a historical novel while editing a suspense novel with international flair–an homage to her love of travel and foreign food. She lives on a farm in North Carolina with her husband, Tony Johnson, and two very spoiled German shepherds named Hansel and Hannah.
Renee Johnson Writes 