John Sykes, a legendary and influential guitarist who performed with Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Blue Murder, Tygers Of Pan Tang and his own solo outfit, has passed away at the age of 65.
“It is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer,” read a statement on his social media. “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.”
Sykes is perhaps best known for his work with Whitesnake on their landmark self-titled album from 1987. The guitarist co-wrote most of the record which produced several hits including the chart-topping “Here I Go Again,” as well as “Is This Love,” “Still Of The Night,” “Crying In The Rain,” “Give Me All Your Love” and “Children Of The Night.”
“Devastating shocking news!” wrote Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk. “As most know John was not only a friend, but always one of my favorite guitarists. Stunned by this. What a loss. Condolences to his family and friends. Crushed. RIP John Sykes.”
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