Former Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy Guitarist John Sykes Dead at 65

Sad news for fans of early heavy metal and blues rock, as news just broke yesterday that former Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes has died at 65 after fighting cancer.

Sykes is probably best known for his stints in those two legendary rock bands, although his time with both bands was short-lived. Sykes only appeared on one Thin Lizzy studio albums, their final album Thunder and Lightning in 1983, although he also appeared on some live records and had a stint as their lead vocalist. For Whitesnake, he only appeared on the US mix of their 1984 album Slide it In as well as the band’s 1987 album which is known by different names in different countries. He was also a member of NWOBHM band Tygers of Pan Tang and fronted the band Blue Murder.

An announcement about Sykes’ death was made on his official Instagram, reading:

“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.”

Meanwhile, the official Instagram for Whitesnake and their frontman David Coverdale posted:

“Just heard the shocking news of John’s passing…My sincere condolences to his family, friends & fans…”

The Tygers of Pan Tang Instagram simply wrote:

“No words”

We at MetalSucks would like to extend our deepest condolences to Sykes’ friends, family, former bandmates, and fans at this time.