Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake Guitarist Dies: John Sykes Was 65

John Sykes, the British guitarist best known for his work with bands like Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, and Tygers of Pan Tang, has died. Sykes’ passing was confirmed in a statement shared to his website Monday, which said the musician died “after a hard fought battle with cancer.” He was 65.

“He will be remembered by many as a man with exceptional musical talent but for those who didn’t know him personally, he was a thoughtful, kind, and charismatic man whose presence lit up the room,” the statement said. “He certainly marched to the beat of his own drum and always pulled for the underdog. In his final days, he spoke of his sincere love and gratitude for his fans who stuck by him through all these years.”

The statement added, “While the impact of his loss is profound and the mood somber, we hope the light of his memory will extinguish the shadow of his absence.”

The veteran hard-rock guitarist began his career with the heavy-metal band Tygers of Pan Tang in 1980 before he auditioned for a place in the classic rock band Thin Lizzy. Sykes joined the group as their new lead guitarist alongside Scott Gorham in 1982 and played on their final two albums, Thunder and Lightning and Life. After embarking on Thin Lizzy’s year-long farewell tour, he joined John joined Phil Lynott for Lynott’s solo tour of Europe in a separate group called The Three Musketeers.

Although Sykes intended to stay with The Three Musketeers, he went on to join Whitesnake in early 1984. He performed on the group’s album Slide It In that same year, and joined Whitesnake for a world tour in support of the album. He later played on their self-titled 1987 release, which he co-wrote. The album, which featured tracks like “Still of the Night” and “Is This Love,” was a critical success and sold approximately 20 million copies world-wide. Despite the group’s success, Sykes and several other band members were fired from the group after their relationship with David Coverdale, lead singer and founder of Whitesnake, became strained, per USA Today.

Following his departure from Whitesnake, something eh told Rock Candy magazine in 2017 left him “furious” and “very bitter,” Sykes went on to form the hard rock group Blue Murder alongside veteran drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tony Franklin. The band recorded two albums – 1989’s Blue Murder and 1993’s Nothin’ But Trouble – before breaking up in 1994. Sykes spent the latter years of his career recording solo, and also reunited with Thin Lizzy.

Paying tribute to his former bandmate in a Monday Instagram post, Coverdale sent his “sincere condolences to (Sykes’) family, friends & fans.” Appice, meanwhile, wrote on Facebook, “John’s playing, writing and singing were amazing… I loved him like a brother.”