British guitarist John Sykes, known for his roles in rock bands Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, has died at 65 after a “hard fought battle with cancer.”
His death was announced in a statement on his website and social media.
“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.”
Born in Berkshire, England in 1959, Sykes first took an interest in guitar as a teen and cited British musicians such as Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple among his biggest influences.
He began his career in 1980 with the heavy metal band The Tygers of Pan Tang, before joining Thin Lizzy as lead guitarist in 1982. While the classic rock band had already reached the peak of its popularity by the time he became a member, he played on their year-long farewell tour as well as the group’s final two albums, “Thunder and Lightning” and “Life.”
Sykes then joined Whitesnake in 1984 and co-wrote their self-titled 1987 album, including hits “Still of the Night” and “Is This Love.” The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and sold around 20 million copies worldwide.
The band broke up shortly after and Sykes went on to form the hard rock supergroup Blue Murder, with Tony Franklin and Carmine Appice. He later recorded five solo albums. His most recent songs, “Dawning of a Brand New Day” and “Out Alive,” were released in 2021.
In the wake of his death, messages paying tribute to Sykes poured in from his colleagues and fans.
“John’s playing, writing and singing were amazing. I loved him like a brother,” Appice wrote on Facebook.
“He didn’t widdle and he didn’t fiddle … he was the REAL deal,” said Tygers of Pan Tang co-founder Robb Weir. “We laughed the whole time we were together. I hope that there is space for me in John’s band when we meet again.”
Sykes is survived by his three sons, James, John Jr. and Sean.