Former Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes has sadly died. His representatives announced the sad news on his social media page.
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They revealed that Sykes passed away after a battle with cancer. Sykes started out his music career playing for Streetfighter then Tyger of Pan Tang. But in 1982, he replaced Snowy Whit as guitarist in Thin Lizzy, featured on their final studio album Thunder and Lightning.
From there, he moved on to Whitesnake, joining the ban in 1984. He played guitar and co-wrote many of the songs on the band's self-titled 1987 album.
Early in his music career, Sykes played in a band called Streetfighter, before joining the British heavy metal band Tygers of Pan Tang in 1980. In 1982, Sykes replaced guitarist Snowy White in Thin Lizz
See the sad announcement below.
"It is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer. 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."
John Sykes Dies
Following the announcement, fans took to social media to mourn the loss of Sykes. It's hard to say goodbye to the guitarist.
One wrote, "You were one of the best loved you brother?played some great music with you RIP."
Another wrote, "A truly tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with John's family at this heartbreaking time. Thank you for being such an inspiration to me and countless others. Rest in peace John Sykes."
Another wrote, "Very upsetting news. ? May the legend, Mr. John Sykes rest in peace. We thank him for all the brilliant guitar playing, vocals and songwriting he gave us, across many great albums and tours."
Yet another wrote, "Havent stopped crying in the last 10 minutes, I owe him so much, his songwriting has inspired me to become who I am today, John you have made a difference in my life. I send my condolences to the family of this great man. Rest in peace."
And another wrote, "One of my favorite guitarist ever...tone like no other...the Slide it In & 87 records are iconic sounding & revolutionary in the 80s. His power but yet smoothness was amazing & a killer voice to boot."
