John Sykes, who played guitar with rock bands Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake, has died. He was 65.
The Reading-born musician was known for playing on hit songs including the massively popular 1987 re-recording of Whitesnake power ballad “Here I Go Again.”
A statement posted to his official website announced that Sykes died after a “hard-fought battle with cancer”.
It continued: “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.”
On his Instagram page, Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale wrote: “Just heard the shocking news of John’s passing…My sincere condolences to his family, friends & fans…”
Sykes started his career in Blackpool-based band Streetfighter before joining heavy metal group the Tygers Of Pan Tang in 1980.
After two years of albums and tours, Sykes left to become lead guitarist with Irish rock band Thin Lizzy. He performed on the group’s final album, 1983’s Thunder And Lightning, co-writing the single “Cold Sweat.” He later joined frontman Phil Lynott on his tour of Europe with a band dubbed The Three Musketeers.
Sykes was headhunted by Coverdale to join Whitesnake, appearing on the Slide It In album in 1984 and the platinum-selling Whitesnake in 1987. The album would prove a massive success, but Sykes left the band before it was released and went on to form the supergroup Blue Murder with Tony Franklin and Carmine Appice.
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In the 1990s and 2000s, Sykes split his time between a solo career and a reformed version of Thin Lizzy which he fronted until 2009 alongside Scott Gorham. He released his first solo album Out of My Tree in 1995, with follow-up Loveland was arriving in 1997. His final solo album, Bad Boy Live!, was recorded during a tour of Japan and released in 2004.
Sykes was married to Jennifer Brooks-Sykes from 1989 to 1999. The couple had three sons: James, John Jr and Sean.
Additional reporting by Press Association.
