The world of rock is mourning the death of legendary guitarist John Sykes who passed away at the age of 65 after a battle with cancer.
Best known for his work with Thin Lizzy and glam rock band Whitesnake he was one of the greats when it came to creating powerful and memorable guitar riffs.
The news of his passing came via a social media post that read: “It is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard-fought battle with cancer. 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.
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.
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.”
John Sykes began his journey with Thin Lizzy in 1982, joining the band and performing on their final album Thunder and Lightning. After Thin Lizzy’s dissolution, he toured Europe with Phil Lynott in a band called The Three Musketeers. David Coverdale then recruited Sykes for Whitesnake, where he made a significant impact. He re-recorded guitar parts for the Slide It In album and made his live debut with the band in Dublin in 1984.
Sykes’ most notable achievement came with Whitesnake’s self-titled 1987 album, where he co-wrote nine of the eleven songs and helped transform the band’s sound from blues rock to heavy metal and glam metal. The album was a massive success, selling approximately 20 million copies worldwide and featuring hit tracks like “Still of the Night” and “Is This Love”. However, his relationship with Coverdale was tumultuous, and he was fired from the band before the album’s full release.
