Dire Straits legend Knopfler says accident shaped his music Dire Straits legend Mark Knopfler said Friday that a motorcycle accident two years ago had shaped his music and made him cherish the present. Knopfler broke his collarbone and six ribs in a near-fatal accident in 2003 when his motorbike collided with a car in central London. His 2004 hit "Shangri-La" has references to the accident. "Everybody has their own ideas of Shangri-La ... I tried to teach myself to enjoy the present, enjoy the now," Knopfler, the songwriter and Dire Straits lead guitarist, told a news conference the night before...