By Monk
Guitarist John Sykes has died at the age of 65, following a battle with cancer.
Sykes started his career in north-east NWoBHM legends Tygers of Pan Tang in the 1980s, before joining the final incarnation of Thin Lizzy, recording 1983’s farewell ‘Thunder And Lightning’ album and performing on the subsequent tour. After Lizzy called in a day, he joined Whitesnake, appearing on the ‘Slide It In’ and ‘1987’ albums, but was fired from the band before the latter’s release.
He then formed his own band, Blue Murder, releasing two studio and one live album. In the 1990s through to the early 2000s, he fronted a version of Thin Lizzy, and also followed a solo career, last releasing two singles in 2021.
A statement on his official Facebook page reads:
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.
Photo courtesy of facebook.com/JohnSykesMusic.