Guy Fletcher
“The inevitable Guy Fletcher” Mark Knopfler
Born in 1960 in Maidstone Kent, music was a way of life in the Fletcher household. One of Guy’s earliest memories is of singing and recording songs in the Fletcher Garage Studio by age 4 and it was the Beatles who put the seal on Guy’s future when in 1967 he heard Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane. Fascinated by the sounds the Beatles were making, it was the start of a life-long passion with studio work and production. Other early influences came through Deep Purple, Steely Dan, Keith Emerson, Phil Spector, Stevie Wonder, and the list goes on.
Leaving school Guy went straight into a job as tea boy/runner with ATV music publishing in Bruton Street W1. A year 
later he moved to DJM Studios in New Oxford Street as a tape-operator which started Guy on a musical path through the industry. After 2 years, eventually graduating to engineer, balancing the job and being in local bands was proving difficult. Guy’s band 'Atlantis' were getting more and more gigs in and around London and it became obvious that it wasn’t going to possible to hold the studio job down as well as gig, so the decision was made to pursue the keyboards route.
By chance, one evening at a gig at the 'St. Christopher' pub in Eton, Guy met Anne-Marie Mackay (eventually to become his manager). She was married to Duncan Mackay, then the keyboard player for Steve Harley's Cockney Rebel. When Duncan left Steve's band to join 10CC, Guy stepped in. Whilst gigging, Guy continued with his efforts to break into the studio scene and worked with a producer on a Belouis Some record at the Gallery (Phil Manzanera's old studio), at the time Roxy Music were auditioning keyboard players there for their Avalon tour and following a suggestion that he should pop down, he did and joined Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music in 1981 for their last great outing of the 80’s. This was his introduction to world tours.
Guy first met Mark Knopfler in 1983. Despite not having musical roots in the blues of the Northern Maestro, oddly enough, the transition was not too problematic for Guy as he worked on the making of the Notting Hillbillies album. Since 1983 Guy has been involved in all Mark's work both in Dire Straits, the solo albums 'Golden Heart', 'Sailing to Philadelphia', 'Ragpicker's dream' and all the film projects including the eagerly awaited 'A shot at glory' which was put together in 2001.
Over the years there have been other collaborations such as Tina Turner, Mick Jagger, Aztec Camera, Difford and Tillbrook (STP appearances). Notably, through the connection with Mark Knopfler Guy worked with the wonderful Chet Atkins, and later with Willie De Ville and Randy Newman being further notable landmarks.
Guy’s enjoyment now lies in composing for film and television as well as working on projects of his own, often with friend and partner Rupert Gregson Williams. Recent projects include the ITV series 'At home with the Braithwaites' (four series) and 'William and Mary'.
Guy admits to a mild fascination for the Hawaiian lap steel guitar and has been 
known to embarrass himself onstage from time to time and does use the steels quite regularly in the studio, and on the occasional session. The one shown is a Rickenbacker bakelite model B from the early 1940's. Guy blames Richard Bennett for his obsession as it was his 'wall of desire' which first turned him on to the beauty of the instruments which are so rarely used these days.
1 GEAR
So who’s won the FANTASTIC FENDER GUITAR signed by MARK KNOPFLER.