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John Sykes - Ex-Thin Lizzy, Ex-Whitesnake Guitarist Passed Away


John Sykes has sadly passed away following a battle with cancer. The guitarist, who was known for his work with Tygers Of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Blue Murder and more, was 65.





The following statement was issued: “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.”

Source: facebook.com
Band profile: Thin Lizzy
Posted: 21.01.2025 by Thryce


Comments

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Comments: 11   Visited by: 58 users
21.01.2025 - 11:42
gavdann
Very sad. One of the great guitarists of his generation.
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21.01.2025 - 11:54
John_Doe
Sad and shocking news.
RIP
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I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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21.01.2025 - 12:27
Blackcrowe
Virtue and Vice
Great musician, one of the most original guitar players RIP
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Invisible To telescopic eye,
Infinity. The star that would not die.

Slayer vs. Slayer: 1,000 MPH or Death

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21.01.2025 - 12:54
nikarg
Staff
Whitesnake is one of the cassettes that I played non-stop, and turned me toward hard rock and, subsequently, metal. I got into extreme metal very quickly after that, so it was much later that I discovered Spellbound and Thunder And Lightning.
Rest In Peace, John Sykes.
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21.01.2025 - 13:33
A Real Mönkey
I still play Whitesnake religiously, not just cause that guitar playing is simply magical.

RIP
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21.01.2025 - 13:34
John_Doe
Written by nikarg on 21.01.2025 at 12:54

Whitesnake is one of the cassettes that I played non-stop, and turned me toward hard rock and, subsequently, metal. I got into extreme metal very quickly after that, so it was much later that I discovered Spellbound and Thunder And Lightning.
Rest In Peace, John Sykes.

Blue Murder was also great, especially the debut album.
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I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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21.01.2025 - 16:29
nikarg
Staff
Written by John_Doe on 21.01.2025 at 13:34

Blue Murder was also great, especially the debut album.

I am going to listen to it for the first time right now. Cool band name.
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21.01.2025 - 17:18
gavdann
Written by John_Doe on 21.01.2025 at 13:34

Written by nikarg on 21.01.2025 at 12:54

Whitesnake is one of the cassettes that I played non-stop, and turned me toward hard rock and, subsequently, metal. I got into extreme metal very quickly after that, so it was much later that I discovered Spellbound and Thunder And Lightning.
Rest In Peace, John Sykes.

Blue Murder was also great, especially the debut album.

Coincidentally this was the first record I ever bought on CD. I remember it was an early pure digital release. It had the DDD on the back cover if you can remember when they used to do that to indicate A/D recording, A/D mixing and A/D mastering.
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21.01.2025 - 18:21
Metal God
Contributor
Written by John_Doe on 21.01.2025 at 13:34

Written by nikarg on 21.01.2025 at 12:54

Whitesnake is one of the cassettes that I played non-stop, and turned me toward hard rock and, subsequently, metal. I got into extreme metal very quickly after that, so it was much later that I discovered Spellbound and Thunder And Lightning.
Rest In Peace, John Sykes.

Blue Murder was also great, especially the debut album.

That's an excellent album. They were a great power trio.
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22.01.2025 - 02:46
Metal God
Contributor
Written by nikarg on 21.01.2025 at 16:29

Written by John_Doe on 21.01.2025 at 13:34

Blue Murder was also great, especially the debut album.

I am going to listen to it for the first time right now. Cool band name.

How do you like it?
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22.01.2025 - 10:17
nikarg
Staff
Written by Metal God on 22.01.2025 at 02:46

How do you like it?

I actually listened to both albums. I was impressed with Sykes's voice, tbh; the guitar was always going to be great, but the vocals were very good, too. The debut is superior, typical '80s hard rock/heavy metal, but excellently played and with memorable songs. Right up my alley, really. I noticed that there was some overlap with various Black Sabbath members and I did get a bit of Seventh Star vibes, which is great because I love that album.
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