He met Mark Knopfler and David Knopfler at a guitar shop in New York and became friends with them. He was invited to join the band after David and Hal Lindes left.

He played guitar synthesizer on “The Man’s Too Strong” and performed live with the band on 248 shows in 23 countries. He also played at the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium.

He retired from his professional musical career in 1988 and started a second career as a marketing executive in the music industry. He worked for Seymour Duncan, Rivera Guitar Amplifiers, Line 6 and Guitar Center. He also pursued his passion for writing and wrote several novels and short stories. He also hosted a radio program called “The Jack Sonni Show”.

He died on August 30, 2023, after suffering from undisclosed health problems. His death was announced by his former bandmates of Dire Straits Legacy, a group that he joined in 2019 to perform songs from Dire Straits’ catalog around the world.