Legendary guitarist from beloved ‘80s rock bands dies at 65 – NJ.com
John Sykes, guitarist for Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, died at the age of 65. (Photo by Brian Rasic/Getty Images)Getty ImagesJohn Sykes, best known for his work with popular rock bands Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake, has died at the age of 65.The British guitarist died after a bout with cancer, according to a statement posted to his website Monday. The statement did not disclose what type of cancer Sykes had nor did it reveal the musician’s exact death date.“It is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer,” the statement read. “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.”The legendary musician began his career in 1980 with an English band called The Tigers of Pan Tang before landing the lead guitarist spot in Thin Lizzy in 1982. He played with the already established band throughout its year-long farewell and two final albums, “Thunder and Lightning” and “Life.”Sykes went on to join Whitesnake in 1984. He also co-wrote the band’s self-titled 1987 album which included hit songs “Still of the Night” and “Is this Love.” The album sold over 10 million copies worldwide.After leaving Whitesnake, Sykes formed Blue Murder alongside bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice. The band released its self-titled debut album in 1989. Sykes also went on to have a solo career.Sykes married Jennifer Brooks in 1989 and the couple went on to have three sons: James, John Jr. and Sean.”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,” the statement on Sykes’ website read.Several popular rockers took to social media to post farewell tributes to Sykes.David Coverdale, founder and lead singer of Whitesnake, posted a slideshow Monday featuring photos of Sykes and himself in the ‘80s.A post shared by David Coverdale (@whitesnake)“Just heard the shocking news of John’s passing…My sincere condolences to his family, friends & fans,” Coverdale captioned the post.Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.Christopher Burch can be reached at cburch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SwishBurch. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsIf you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025).© 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.YouTube’s privacy policy is available here and YouTube’s terms of service is available here.Ad Choices
