John Sykes, a legend of hard rock guitar who made his mark with stints in Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, and Tygers of Pan Tang, among others, has died at the age of 65.
The news was announced on Sykes’ Facebook page, in a statement 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,” it continued. “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.”
Among those who quickly paid tribute to Sykes was Eddie Trunk, who wrote on Twitter, “Devastating shocking news!
“As most know John was not only a friend, but always one of my favorite guitarists. Stunned by this. What a loss. Condolences to his family and friends. Crushed.”
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Born in 1959, John Sykes picked up the guitar as a teen, and – after a stint in the band Streetfighter – was recruited by the “New Wave of British Heavy Metal” (NWOBHM) band Tygers of Pan Tang, with whom he recorded two albums, in 1980.
Though the Tygers of Pan Tang never met with the success seen by some of their NWOBHM contemporaries, the influence of their Sykes-bolstered sound can be seen in the formation of Metallica, which began when James Hetfield responded to an ad Lars Ulrich put in a local paper that read, “Drummer looking for other musicians to jam with – Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden.”
After growing dissatisfied within that band’s ranks, Sykes was recruited by Thin Lizzy, bringing a heavier edge to the band and stability to the second guitar chair that – alongside the steady Scott Gorham – had been rotating for years.
Sykes even quickly co-wrote the song Cold Sweat, in which the guitarist loudly announced his arrival with an acrobatic, tapping-laden solo.
Cold Sweat – YouTube 
Though Thin Lizzy would call it quits less than a year after Sykes joined, frontman and bassist Phil Lynott remained close with Sykes, and recruited the guitarist for his post-Lizzy solo band, The Three Musketeers.
From there, though, Sykes was invited to what would become the biggest gig of his career, a fairly short, but hugely consequential, tenure in the band Whitesnake.
In partnership with frontman David Coverdale, Sykes pushed the already-successful band into more commercial territory, co-writing almost every track on the band’s self-titled 1987 album.
Though strained relations with Coverdale meant that Sykes was already out of the Whitesnake fold by the time of the album’s release, Sykes’ playing and songwriting touch played a huge role in the album’s monumental, many-times-platinum success.
Whitesnake – Still of the Night (Official Music Video) – YouTube 
Undeterred, Sykes pivoted once again post-Whitesnake, forming Blue Murder, a hard-rock supergroup of sorts that also included bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice.
Though their 1989 self-titled debut album was no commercial slouch, Blue Murder soon fell victim to the grunge tsunami, and disbanded by the mid-’90s.
Sykes then embarked on a notable solo career, releasing four albums between 1995 and 2000.
Sykes could go full-throttle with the most impressive speedsters, but the guitarist remains, and will be, best known as a player who shone brightest when showcasing his other talents.
“I was all about Eddie Van Halen and George Lynch, and all those guys who were huge then,” Fozzy guitarist Rich Ward told Guitar World in 2024. “But John Sykes really got me – he changed my world through his tone and vibrato. He was the total package.”
Paying tribute to his former bandmate on Twitter, David Coverdale wrote, “Just heard the shocking news of John’s passing – my sincere condolences to his family, friends, and fans.”
