John Sykes Dies: Former Whitesnake & Thin Lizzy Guitarist Was 65

deadline.com:

John Sykes, a hard-rock guitarist and singer who played with Thin Lizzy before joining Whitesnake for its smash 1987 album and later forming Blue Murder, has died of cancer.

He was 65. The news was confirmed on Sykes’ Facebook page, but other details including a date of death were not provided. “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.” the statement reads in part. “He certainly marched to the beat of his own drum and always pulled for the underdog.” Born on July 29, 1959, in Reading, England, Sykes began playing guitar as a teenager, inspired by the legion of late-’60s British axmen.

He played with metal band Tygers of Pan Tang in the early 1980s before joining Phil Lynott in Thin Lizzy for 12th album. Thunder and Lightning went Top 5 in the UK, fueled by the Top 30 single “Cold Sweat,” which Sykes co-wrote, but sold poorly stateside.

The 1983 set would be Thin Lizzy’s last studio disc, with the band dissolving by year’s end. The following year, Sykes was approached to join former Deep Purple singer David Coverdale’s band Whitesnake.