Mark Knopfler hurt in bike crash

LONDON, UK (Dire Starits Fans Website) - Mark Knopfler is recovering after being badly hurt in a motorcycle accident. Dire Straits lead singer Mark Knopfler broke six ribs and a collarbone in a motorcycle accident in Grosvenor Road in London SW1 and will be unable to perform at a London concert later this month, his agent said Tuesday.

Publicist Judy Shaw of Mercury Records said Knopfler was knocked from his Honda bike when it collided with a Fiat Punto in Belgravia, central London, on Monday morning.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "It is believed a red Fiat Punto motor car was in collision with a Honda motorcycle. "The motorcycle rider, believed to be in his early 50s, was taken by ambulance to St Thomas's Hospital, and it is believed he suffered broken ribs."

A leading exponent of the moody rock lament and one of the world's most respected guitarists, Knopfler has written a series of hit songs, including "Sultans of Swing," Romeo and Juliet " and "Brothers in Arms," which have won Dire Straits an ardent international following. His most recent production was the solo album, "The Ragpicker's Dream."
In 1999, Knopfler was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE.