John Sykes

Guitarist John Sykes entered the world on July 29, 1959, in Reading, England, and gained lasting recognition through his tenures in the hard rock bands Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake. At age 14 he first picked up an instrument, then signed on with Streetfighter in 1980. A period with Badlands came next, after which he entered the Tygers of Pan Tang and delivered their 1981 album Spellbound. Once he finished tracking Crazy Nights he exited that group to become a member of Thin Lizzy, appearing on the Irish band’s last studio release, Thunder and Lightning, in 1983. The year after, he moved to Whitesnake and contributed to Slide It In. Whitesnake’s self-titled 1987 album marked the act’s commercial breakthrough; Sykes and frontman David Coverdale together wrote the hit “Is This Love?” Shortly after the sessions ended, Coverdale let the remaining musicians go, prompting Sykes to return home and launch Blue Murder alongside drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tony Franklin. Between 1989 and 1994 the trio issued three records before disbanding. Following a reunion tour with Thin Lizzy, Sykes issued the solo ballad collection Loveland in 1997. Later the same year 20th Century appeared under the name Sykes and featured the lineup he had assembled with bassist Marco Mendoza and drummer Tommy O’Steen. The compilation Chapter One arrived in 1998, and Out of My Tree followed two years later. John Sykes passed away in January 2025; his survivors made the announcement on January 20. He was 65.