Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes dies at 65
John Sykes, the British rock guitarist who played with Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, has died at the age of 65.
A statement on his website said Sykes “passed away after a tough battle with cancer”.
It described him as “a thoughtful, kind and charismatic man whose presence lit up the room” and said that, in his final days, he had expressed “true love and gratitude to his fans”.
Sykes appeared on two Whitesnake albums and co-wrote some of the band’s best-known songs, including Still of the Night and Is This Love.
He began his career with the heavy metal band Tigers of Pan Tang in 1980, recording two albums before joining Thin Lizzy in 1982.
He played on the 1983 release Thunder and Lightning before accompanying frontman Phil Lynott on a European tour with a different group called The Three Musketeers.
In 1984, he joined Whitesnake at the invitation of founder and frontman David Coverdale, recording parts for their Slide It In album and later for their self-titled 1987 release, which was a critical and commercial success. Was.
After leaving Whitesnake he released two albums with his own group, Blue Murder, and later formed a touring version of Thin Lizzy, which disbanded in the years before Lynott’s death in 1986.
A statement on Sykes’ website said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of John Sykes after a tough battle with cancer.
“Many will remember him as a man of extraordinary musical talent, but to those who did not know him personally, he was a thoughtful, kind and charismatic man whose presence lit up the room.
“He certainly marched to the beat of his own drum and always helped the underprivileged. In his last days, he spoke of his true love and gratitude towards his fans who stuck by him for so many years.
“Although the impact of his loss is deep and hearts saddened, we hope that the light of his memory will extinguish the shadow of his absence.”
Paying tribute to X, Coverdale shared several photos of himself and Sykes together in Whitesnake’s heyday.
“Just heard the shocking news of John’s passing…” he said.
“My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans…”
Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash shared a photo of Sykes’ performance and simply wrote: “RIP”.
