John Sykes, the legendary hard-rock guitarist who was a member of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and the Tygers of Pan Tang, sadly passed at the age of 65.
His official website and a post on his official Facebook page confirmed the unfortunate news of his demise on Monday, January 20, 2025. The statement reads: “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 sombre, we hope the light of his memory will extinguish the shadow of his absence.”
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John Sykes was best known for…
The fierce performer, recognised by his distinct wavy blond hair, was best known for hit singles “Still of the Night” and “Is This Love,” which were featured on Whitesnake’s eponymous 1987 seventh album, which included nearly all of his co-written songs. However, his gig with the band wasn’t meant to be, as John Sykes was ousted from the act even before the album was released due to his tussle with David Coverdale.
Who was John Sykes? Detailed career path
The hard-rock veteran was born in Reading, England in 1959 and raised partially in Spain, per Variety. He kicked off his career trajectory as a teen guitarist with a group called Streetfighter in the late 1970s. Eventually, he joined the Tygers of Pan Tang, an icon of the “New Wave of British Heavy Metal” era when bands like Iron Maiden came alive. This musical stint was also short-lived as he ultimately quit the band in 1982.
His Thin Lizzy career broke out after an unsuccessful audition for Ozzy Osbourne’s band. Through Tygers producer Chris Tsangarides, Sykes connected with Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott. The band members ultimately went their separate ways in 1983 after Lynott’s heroin addiction not only consumed his own life but also threw the band into a downward spiral.
-In early 1984, he joined Whitesnake. However, disagreements with Coverdale took a toll on the entire band. Out on his own, John Sykes formed the band Blue Murder with iconic drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tony Franklin. This venture, too, lasted only for two albums. Sykes then temporarily replaced the late guitarist Steve Clark in Def Leppard. A solo career followed until his death, and he also became the face of Thin Lizzy sans Lynott for years.
Sykes could’ve also had a future with Guns N Roses, but his 2009 audition slipped out of his hand.
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Tributes pour in
Grammy Award-winning guitarist Steve Stevens paid tribute to Sykes on Monday. “Hearing that John Sykes has passed. Man, his work on the 1987 Whitesnake album was just incredible. You’ve got 12 year old kids on YouTube still learning his stuff. This is just so sad,” he wrote on Instagram.
Guitarist Marty Friedman wrote on X: “Very sad to hear of John Sykes passing. His work with Tygers of Pan Tang was by far my favourite of the NWOBHM. A wonderful guitarist.”
Adrian Vandenberg, best known for his tenure as one of Whitesnake’s guitarists during the late 1980s, posted: “Damn… John Sykes passed away… a fantastic, very talented and influential player as we all know.. Like many rock lovers I was always hoping he would suddenly blast back on the music scene again with a killer record and start touring again. Musically our paths have crossed a few times but unfortunately we never met in person. F**k cancer.. RIP.”
