Mark Knopfler plans summer outing

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/guitarist Mark Knopfler has announced his first round of North American dates for 2008.

The performer, best known as the leader of British rock band Dire Straits, will mount an extensive European tour in late March and then launch North American dates in June with shows in the Denver area, Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston, Portland, OR, and Ottawa. More concerts and ticket presale information will be announced in the next few weeks, according to a posting at Knopfler's website. The current North American itinerary is detailed below.

As a special offer, North American concert-goers who purchase at least two tickets online (either through the artist's website or another ticket outlet), will receive a free copy of Knopfler's latest album, "Kill To Get Crimson."

The set, which surfaced in September and reached No. 26 on The Billboard 200, is Knopfler's fifth solo album. It follows 2004's "Shangri-La" and 2006's "All the Roadrunning," which was a collaboration with Emmylou Harris.

After enjoying multi-platinum success with Dire Straits in the '70s, '80s and '90s, Knopfler laid the band to rest and launched a full-fledged solo career with the 1996 release of "Golden Heart." His 2000 offering, "Sailing to Philadelphia," was certified gold in the US, and 2002's "The Ragpicker's Dream" became Knopfler's first solo album to crack the Top 40 pop chart in the US, according to his bio.

The renowned axeman has logged record sales topping 110 million during his career, and he was honored with the No. 27 slot on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.