John Sykes Gone at 65
Acclaimed guitarist for Tygers of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake and Blue Murder remembered
Groundbreaking British guitarist John Sykes has died, according to a post on his official Facebook page. He was 65.
“It is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer,” the post 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.
“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 hard rock legend had been battling cancer for several years. And despite the news of his passing was announced today, the image augmenting the message states he died in 2024. Surely more details will soon follow.
Born in Reading, England, on July 29, 1959, Sykes was one of early pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, first as a member of Streetfighter in the late ‘70s then in the classic lineup of the Tygers of Pan Tang. He would then join Thin Lizzy for the band’s powerhouse studio swan song Thunder and Lightning and accompanying tour.
But it was his involvement in the classic eponymous Whitesnake album from 1987 — where he co-wrote such enduring hits as “Bad Boys,” “Still of the Night” and “Is This Love” before getting kicked out of the band in favor of the more MTV-friendly Vivian Campbell.
Sykes would return in 1989 with the magnificent power trio Blue Murder alongside bassist Tony Franklin of The Firm and Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice, who released one incredible album with the original lineup. The second version of Blue Murder with Tommy O’Steen on drums, Marco Mendoza on bass and keyboardist Nik Green would go on to release the second and final Blue Murder album, Nothin’ But Trouble in 1993. Sykes would continue to work with O’Steen and Mendoza on his 1995 solo debut Out of My Tree. He would release three more solo albums in 1997’s Loveland, 1998’s 20th Century and 2000’s Nuclear Cowboy before largely disappearing for much of the 2000s, save for a 2005 live album Bad Boy Live! and an alleged failed audition for Guns ‘N Roses in 2009.
Sykes would return to the public eye in 2011 as a guest on That Metal Show, whose host Eddie Trunk was a big time champion of Sykes making a comeback. Sadly, despite years of recording material for a solo album that would never happen in his lifetime, that appearance on TMS would be the last time he was seen before a wide public audience in his lifetime.
VIDEO: John Sykes “Dawning of a Brand New Day”
Two new songs did emerge, however, in 2021 when Sykes released “Dawning of a Brand New Day” and “Out Alive.”
“Absolutely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of the great John Sykes,” wrote Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy on Facebook. “As many of you might know, John & I spent a lot of time working together back in 2011 when we were planning on launching a new band. We even demoed 12 of his songs and went on That Metal Show together to announce the project. Sadly it never went anywhere and the demos never saw the light of day, but working with him and spending as much time together as we did provided me with so many great memories. He was an incredible talent and it was an honor to work with him. Such a sad loss 🙏 #RIPJohnSykes.”
“Damn..John Sykes passed away.. a fantastic, very talented and influential player as we all know,” posted fellow Whitesnake guitar alumnus Adrian Vandenberg. “Like many rock lovers I was always hoping he would suddenly blast back on the music scene again with a killer record and start touring again. Musically our paths have crossed a few times but unfortunately we never met in person. Fuck cancer. R.I.P.”
“A huge talent and huge influence,” posted Kip Winger.
We can only hope the family will one day release his long-in-the-works follow-up to Nuclear Cowboy posthumously. Or at least launch a reissue campaign of his solo catalog. This musix deserves to be heard beyond a bunch of import CD collectors.
Peaceful journey, Sykes.
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