(CelebrityAccess) — John Sykes, an English guitarist and singer best known for tenures with bands such as Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, has died. He was 65.
His passing was announced on Monday (Jan. 21) via social media:
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 somber, we hope the light of his memory will extinguish the shadow of his absence.
A native of the London suburb of Reading, Sykes began learning guitar while he was still in his teens and joined the band Streetfighter after relocating to Blackpool.
He went on to record two albums with the English metal band Tygers of Pan Tang before he joined Thin Lizzy in 1982.
Following the dissolution of Thin Lizzy, Sykes was invited to join the band Whitesnake, making his debut with the group during a show in Dublin in 1984.
His songwriting capabilities and musical talent helped to push Whitesnake closer to the mainstream before he was fired, along with the other members of the group, by David Coverdale in 1986.
After stepping away from Whitesnake, Sykes formed Blue Murder with bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice. The group released two albums, including their self-titled 1989 debut, which peaked at 69 on the Billboard 200.
Their second album, released after multiple personnel changes, failed to chart and the group parted ways after being dropped by their label, Geffen Records.
Sykes went on to launch a solo career, releasing five albums under his own name, including 2004’s Bad Boy Live! on Victor records.
