John Sykes Obituary

John James Sykes, former guitarist with most notably Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake has died at the age of 65 from cancer. Born in Reading, England, Sykes was a member of Streetfighter in the late 70s before becoming part of the glorious era in Britain known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) with the influential Tygers of Pan Tang.

Sykes’ went on to join the legendary Irish rock band Thin Lizzy in 1982. His influence on the release of “Thunder and Lightning,” the band’s heaviest album, showcasing Sykes’ distinctive guitar style was plain to hear. I still remember hearing his solo on Cold Sweat and feeling the band had embarked on a new and exciting era.

But his tenure was short lived and in1984, Sykes joined Whitesnake, again contributing significantly to their self-titled 1987 album, which became one of the best-selling albums of the decade. His playing on tracks like “Still of the Night” and “Is This Love” defined the band’s sound and stellar success yet despite this he was let go from Whitesnake by David Coverdale before the album’s release. Sykes then went on to form Blue Murder which sadly failed to reach the heights of his former bands.

Sykes was never rated in the upper echelons of guitar players but his talent and contribution to the genre shouldn’t be underrated. He was a welcome fresh face and lifted both Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake to a level they may well otherwise not have known. He leaves us far too soon.