Dire Straits guitarist Jack Sonni has died.

The British rock band introduced the news on X (previously Twitter), writing "Jack Sonni Rest In Peace" with a photograph of the musician.

He was 68, in keeping with the Dire Straits official weblog.

Sonni was affectionately known as the "other guitar player in Dire Straits" having joined the band - which was based by Mark and David Knopfler, John Illsley and Pick Withers - in 1977.

He met the Knopfler brothers whereas working in a Manhattan music store and later travelled to London to go to their residence.

He was invited to affix the band in 1984 and was a member when the 1985 album Brothers In Arms achieved worldwide acclaim.

The album spent 14 non-consecutive weeks at primary within the UK Albums Chart, and 9 within the Billboard 200 within the US.

The musician's web site described him as "a writer, musician, nomadic raconteur, father and grandfather who has taken to heart the reality of the hard-learned lesson that life is short".

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It added: "He has embraced a philosophy to live well and live now in pursuit of creating memorable moments with friends and family.

"And he's one who is aware of the supreme significance of hugging them whilst you can… as a result of tomorrow by no means is aware of."

After leaving the Dire Straits, Sonni continued to play music, returning to the band that he shaped within the late Nineteen Seventies, The Leisure Class.

He additionally appeared recurrently with different former members of Dire Straits within the Dire Straits Legacy challenge.