John Sykes of Thin Lizzy performs on the Thunder and Lightning tour in 1983. Photo: Pete Still/Redferns
John Sykes, a beloved guitarist who performed with Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake in the 1980s, has died at age 65 from cancer. The news was confirmed in a statement on Skyesâ official Facebook page.
âIt is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer,â the statement read. âHe will be remembered by many as a man with exceptional musical talent but for those who didnât 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.â
Sykes was best known for his work co-writing Whitesnakeâs seventh album, 1987, which included hit singles âStill of the Nightâ and âIs This Love.â Throughout his career, he performed with Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, and the Tygers of Pan Tang, and fronted his own band Blue Murder. He released four solo LPs and a live solo album.
Born in Reading, England, in 1959 and raised partially in Spain, Sykes began playing guitar in his teens. He began his professional music career with a group called Streetfighter in the late 1970s after moving to Blackpool, England, and later left to join English heavy metal band Tygers of Pan Tang. He appeared on three of Tygers of Pan Tangâs albums and departed in 1982.
Sykes auditioned unsuccessfully for Ozzy Osbourneâs band before Tygers of Pan Tang producer Chris Tsangarides connected him with Thin Lizzyâs Phil Lynott. The pair collaborated on 1982 single âPlease Donât Leave Me.â Sykes officially joined Thin Lizzy that same year. He performed on the groupâs 1983 LP Thunder and Lightning, for which he co-wrote the single âCold Sweat,â and on their live album Life.
âThin Lizzy were one of my all-time favorite bands anyway, and to be asked to join them was like a dream come trueâ Sykes reflected in an interview in 2008. âIt was an honor and a privilege. In fact, itâs still an honor and privilege now to sing those songs that Phil wrote. To be picked by Phil is probably the highlight of my career, and it doesnât really get much better than that. I was young and what I lived for was being involved in Rock ânâ Roll. That was a wonderful time in my life, and I was only about 22 years old at the time.â
Thin Lizzy officially disbanded in 1983 after touring on Thunder and Lightning, leading to Sykes joining Whitesnake in early 1984. He recorded guitar parts on the bandâs 1984 album Slide It In and co-wrote most of their highly-successful LP 1987 with singer David Coverdale. Coverdale fired all of his band members, including Sykes, before the release of the album, which eventually landed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Sykes moved on to form hard-rock band Blue Murder bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice. The group released their self-titled debut in 1989 and underwent numerous lineup changes before unveiling Nothinâ But Trouble in 1993. Blue Murder disbanded shortly after, with Sykes pursuing a solo career, which kicked off with his 1995 LP Out of My Tree. His most recent solo effort, live album Bad Boy Live!, arrived in 2004, however Sykes released several one-off singles in the year since, including 2021âs âDawning of a Brand New Day.â
In the meantime, Sykes, Brian Downey, Scott Gorham, and Darren Wharton formed a new version of Thin Lizzy after Lynottâs death in 1986. Sykes continued to perform with this edition of Thin Lizzy until 2009.
Coverdale shared photos of himself with Sykes on X, writing, âJust heard the shocking news of Johnâs passingâŚMy sincere condolences to his family, friends & fans.âÂ
From Rolling Stone US.