Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes: The musician dies after suffering from cancer

The rock world has lost one of its most influential guitarists: John Sykes (1959-2025) died at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer. The British musician, who was one of the most influential guitarists in hard rock, leaves behind an impressive musical legacy.

“He will be remembered by many as a man of exceptional musical talents”, . “To those who knew him personally, he was a thoughtful, kind and charismatic person whose presence lit up any room.”

Sykes celebrated his greatest commercial success as a member of the hard rock band Whitesnake (since 1878). Together with singer David Coverdale (73), he wrote their most successful album in 1987 with hits like “Still Of The Night” and “Is This Love”. He had previously caused a stir as the guitarist for Thin Lizzy (1969-1983) and could be heard on their album “Thunder And Lightning”.

Numerous rock music greats expressed their sadness, including Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash (59). Whitesnake founder David Coverdale also paid tribute to his former bandmate.

Sykes began his career in 1980 with the heavy metal band Tygers Of Pan Tang. After two years he moved to Thin Lizzy, where he took over lead guitar alongside Scott Gorham (73). The successful years with Whitesnake followed before he founded the supergroup Blue Murder.

In 2004, Sykes was included in Guitar World magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time – a tribute to his special technical skills and influence on the genre.

John Sykes is survived by three sons: James, John Jr. and Sean. “Although the loss is deeply painful and the spirit is subdued, we hope that the light of his memory will dispel the shadow of his absence,” his family’s obituary said.