English guitarist & songwriter and legendary for his guitar playing with bands like Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake and Blue Murder has died at the age of 65. The sad news was shared on the axeman’s official social pages, confirming he’d lost a battle with cancer. John Sykes is being remembered for his exceptional ability to craft engaging and memorable hard rock guitar riffs and solos. His songwriting played a pivotal role in the success of Whitesnake, with him co-writing all but two tracks off their 1987 self-titled album, which went eight-times platinum.

Hits like ‘Is This Love’ and ‘Still of the Night’ showcase Sykes’ prowess on the instrument, earning him recognition as one of the most influential guitarists of the 80’s hard rock scene. Despite not earning the same global fame as his contemporaries like Eddie Van Halen or Zakk Wylde, Sykes’ contributions to the genre are regarded as being just as impactful. John James Sykes was born 29 July 1959 in Reading, Berkshire. The Sykes family spent three years living Ibiza, Spain, where John’s father and uncle owned a discothèque. Afterward, they moved back to Reading.

Influenced by listening to his uncle’s Eric Clapton records, at the age of 14 and practiced playing guitar at home. After moving to Blackpool, Sykes resumed playing and was asked to join the band Streetfighter by his friend Mervyn Goldsworthy, who would later play bass in Diamond Head, Samson and FM. Sykes began his professional music career when he left Streetfighter to join Tygers of Pan Tang. Sykes recorded two albums with the group, Spellbound and Crazy Nights, which were both released in 1981 but headbutting with some members, he left the band in 1982 but would be featured in 2 songs of their next record. Sykes auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne’s band and was briefly a member of John Sloman’s Badlands.

Sykes got in touch with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott and after co-wrting and performing on a couple of songs, he was asked to join Lizzy. Sykes performed on the group’s 1983 album Thunder and Lightning, for which he also co-wrote the single “Cold Sweat”. Sykes’s inclusion helped revitalise the band, steering them towards a sound more akin to heavy metal. During the tour, the band recorded the live album Life. Sykes also accompanied Lynott on a European solo tour. Thin Lizzy played their final UK concert at the Reading Festival in August 1983, before finally disbanding after a show at Nuremberg’s Monsters of Rock festival on 4 September.

After Thin Lizzy’s break-up, Sykes was initially keen to continue working with Phil Lynott in what would become Grand Slam. However, he was soon asked to join English hard rock group Whitesnake,  made his live debut with the group in Dublin on 17 February 1984. He was first tasked with recording new guitar parts for the US release of the band’s 1984 album Slide It In. Afterwards, Whitesnake embarked on a lengthy world tour, which culminated in two shows at the 1985 Rock in Rio festival. The record became Whitesnake’s first major success in the United States, selling over half a million copies. Sykes was heavily involved in the making of Whitesnake’s next album, co-writing nine songs with vocalist David Coverdale. pushing the sounds towards something more mainstream.

Eventually, though, Coverdale’s relationship with the rest of the band began to sour. He then fired all other members of the group, including Sykes. Whitesnake’s seventh album was released in April 1987, and it became the band’s most commercially successful album to date, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 chart and selling over eight million copies in the US . Although he did not appear in any promotional stuff or touring for the album, it’s John that we heard on the record. Following his dismissal from Whitesnake, Sykes formed Blue Murder, which featured bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice. Cozy Powell was initially supposed to play drums but he left to join Black Sabbath.

Blue Murder’s self-titled debut album was released in April 1989, reaching number 69 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band then embarked on a tour across America and Japan. As expectations were not met, Sykes felt that the record label want him to rejoin Whitesnake & Franklin and Appice left the group. They were replaced by Marco Mendoza and Tommy O’Steen. At the same time, Sykes was being considered for the guitarist spot in Def Leppard. While no formal auditions took place, Sykes did jam with the band and sang backing vocals on their 1992 album Adrenalize. Ultimately Def Leppard would hire Vivian Campbell, formerly of Dio and Whitesnake. Blue Murder, meanwhile, released their second album Nothin’ But Trouble in 1993. n 1994, Blue Murder released a live album, Screaming Blue Murder: Dedicated to Phil Lynott, after which they were dropped from their label and broke up.

Sykes signed with the Japanese branch of Mercury Records and released his first solo album Out of My Tree in 1995. He would go on to record 4 more solo albums. Sykes was supposed to join Billy Sheehan & Mike Portnoy in forming The Winery Dogs but as schedules clashed they went with Richie Kotzen instead. In 2013, Sykes revealed he was working on a new solo album. Samples from the record were released in 2014 and Sykes discussed the album in a 2017 interview with Young Guitar Magazine. After signing with and then leaving a record label Sykes released “Dawning of a Brand New Day” on Jan 1, 2021, his first new song in over twenty years This was followed up by “Out Alive” in July.

Sykes married Jennifer Brooks-Sykes on 10 April 1989, after four years of living together and had 3 songs together. They divorced in 1999.