Former Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake Guitarist John Sykes Dead at 65

January 20, 2025, 8:35pm

Ex-Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes has died at the age of 65. According to a post on Sykes’ official social media pages, the veteran U.K. musician “passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer.”

The message 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. [Sykes] 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.

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The post concluded, “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.”

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About Sykes’ Career

Early in his music career, Sykes played in a band called Streetfighter, before joining the British heavy metal band Tygers of Pan Tang in 1980. In 1982, Sykes replaced guitarist Snowy White in Thin Lizzy.

John was featured on Thin Lizzy’s final studio album, Thunder and Lightning, which was released in 1983. He co-wrote one song on the album with frontman Phil Lynott, “Cold Sweat,” which was a Top-30 hit for the band in the U.K. and Ireland. Thin Lizzy broke up in 1983, although Sykes took part in multiple reunion tours after the band re-formed following Lynott’s 1986 death.

In 1984, Sykes joined Whitesnake in time to contribute to the U.S. mix of the band’s popular Slide It In album. He subsequently played guitar and co-wrote most of the songs on Whitesnake’s hugely successful self-tilted 1987 album, which was called 1987 in the U.K. Personal conflicts between Coverdale and Sykes led to John’s departure from Whitesnake before the album’s release.

Among the tunes Sykes co-wrote with singer David Coverdale for the record was the No. 2 hit “Is This Love.” He also co-wrote the singles “Still of the Night” and “Give Me All Your Love.”

After leaving Whitesnake, Sykes formed the hard-rock group Blue Murder with drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tony Franklin. John served as lead singer and guitarist for Blue Murder, which released two albums before breaking up in 1994.

Sykes released several solo albums in the late 1990s and 2000s. His last release was a solo single called “Dawning of a Brand New Day,” which was issued on January 1, 2021.

Rockers React to Sykes’ Passing

A number of musicians have taken to their social media pages to post reactions to the new of Sykes’ passing.

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

Former Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich posted a longer message on his Instagram that reads, “I’m so sad to hear the news that John Sykes has passed away from Cancer. … Prayers and Thoughts to his family and fans throughout the world.”

Aldrich added, “I met John several times and I’ll never forget the conversations we had. Was always really nice. He was a funny and cool guy that was fierce on the guitar and sang his a– off. We will miss ya John but thank you for the inspiration.”

Ex-Deep Purple bassist/singer Glenn Hughes wrote, “RIP my dear friend … Love & miss you.”