Metal Sludge — Very sad news today in the world of Rock n’ Roll as we report on the passing of guitarist John Sykes.
Sykes is respected as one of the great musicians from the 80’s era and his resume speaks loudly.
The English born guitarist made his first big impact when he joined Tygers of Pan Tang in 1980 and contributed to recordings, tours and more for a few short years before moving on and joining Thin Lizzy in 1983.
It was at this point in his career that he was asked to join Whitesnake and ultimately the work with David Coverdale yielded huge rewards for Sykes with the release of 1987’s self-titled “Whitesnake.”
The band’s 7th album over all, was a huge turning point for Sykes as he co-wrote much of the albums mega hits with Coverdale, including “Still Of The Night“, “Fool For Your Love” and “Is This Love.”
The record went onto sell millions of copies with several chart topping singles, along with Gold, Silver and Platinum records being awarded from all over the globe.
Sykes had a falling out with Coverdale early on, and in addition to the self-titled release, he was also instrumental on the band’s previous release 1984’s “Slide It In.“
But, in those few short years it was that Whitesnake period (1983-1986) that cemented Syke‘s place in history as a rock guitarist, singer and songwriter to be reckon with.
After the run with Whitesnake, Syke‘s launched a new group Blue Murder with their debut in 1989.
What followed were countless projects, releases and working relationships with players from elite groups around the world that saw Sykes become a house-hold name in the rock and metal world.
Sykes found himself in a battle with Cancer in recent years, and he has now sadly lost that battle.
The following message was shared on Syke‘s official website today January 20th 2025.
—————————————-
“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.”
——————————————-
The sad news was also reported on Sykes related social media platforms.
John Sykes and his musical contributions will live on forever in the hearts of fans, friends and family.
John Sykes was 65.
Metal Sludge sends our condolences to the family and friends of John Sykes.
Stay tuned to Metal Sludge for Breaking News, Updates and Features along with both New Interviews and Classic 20 Questions.
