If I asked everyone in my street if they knew who Mark Knopfler was, I know that I would get a blank look from them, because most people I know do not know who he is. He has always been one of the most famous unknown rock stars and has never courted publicity and that's how he liked it, that's what I thought anyway, until now!
This one simple act of not explaining his absence, or even thanking the HoF, has done more to bring him publicity with the media than almost anything else. I doubt it was by design, but it has happened anyway and I'm sure he will have to deal with it in the near future - new album, musical, etc - the musical press will have a field day!
As someone said somewhere - bad publicity is better than no publicity, but I don't think MK would want it at the moment.
I always said that I would be an MK fan until I die and that still stands. I love his music, it has been with me since the first time I heard it in 1982, but it will be difficult to forget what has happened, especially the hurt he has caused Guy and John, for whom I feel so sorry - I can only imagine how they feel and I sincerely hope they will all still be friends. I have never thought MK was an angel who could do no wrong, definitely not, rather he is in my mind a genius, but a very flawed genius and I have always accepted that.
I am now looking forward to the new album and tour and also the musical and I hope it will help erase, to some extent, what has happened.