Death of John Sykes, guitarist of cult rock bands Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy

John Sykes, the guitarist of the famous hard rock bands Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, died on January 20, 2025, when he was 65 years old.

It’s a sad loss for all hard rock lovers. The famous guitarist John Sykes, known for having been members of renowned groups such as Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, is died this Monday January 20, 2025. The man who was also a singer succumbed to the disease at the age of 65, as explained in the press release published on his official Facebook page at the beginning of the week: “CIt is with great sadness that we share the passing of John Sykes after a difficult battle with cancer. Many will remember him as a man of exceptional musical talent, but for those who did not know him personally, he was a caring, kind and charismatic man whose presence lit up the room“, is written in the message which accompanies a photo of the musician kissing the neck of his electric guitar.

Death of John Sykes, guitarist of hard rock bands Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy,

Particularly from the 80s, John Sykes was part of very important groups in the world of hard rock like Thin Lizzy, before joining the Whitesnake. The guitarist also co-wrote some of the songs that made the group popular, notably on the album also titled Whitesnake and released in 1987, which was a great success since it went eight times platinum. Shortly before the 1990s, John Sykes launched his own collective, Blue Murder, with whom he released several albums on which he was not only a guitarist but also sang.

John Sykes forced to interrupt his career due to illness

In 2021, John Sykes released the single Out Aliveannouncing a new album. But the musician had to interrupt his career to take care of his health. The Facebook publication announcing his death evokes the importance that the guitarist gave to his audience: “During his last days, he spoke of his sincere love and gratitude to his fans who have stood by him all these years. Even though the impact of his loss is profound and the mood dark, we hope that the light of his memory endures in his absence“, we can read.