Guitarist John Sykes has died at the age of 65.
The news of the Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake band member came in a statement that revealed his death followed “a hard-fought battle with cancer”.
Announced on his official website, it added: “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.
Watch the video above.
READ MORE: Judi Dench reveals she can’t go out on her own amid vision loss
“He certainly marched to the beat of his own drum and always pulled for the underdog,” it continued.
“In his final days, he spoke of his sincere love and gratitude for his fans who stuck by him through all these years.
The statement concluded: “While the impact of his loss is profound and the mood sombre, we hope the light of his memory will extinguish the shadow of his absence.”
Sykes was born in 1959 and began his journey as a guitarist after being inspired by the likes of Jimmy Page.
READ MORE: Is it OK to treat myself to something sweet every day?
The star began playing in his first band, Streetfighter, before joining the metal band Tygers of Pan Tang.
In 1982, Sykes made the career-defining decision to join the Irish band Thin Lizzy as the group transitioned into creating the metal music they are best known for.
The late guitarist is featured on the band’s final album, Thunder and Lighting, which was released in 1983.
Thin Lizzy reportedly disbanded upon the death of its frontman, Phill Lynott, in 1986.
Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale then asked Sykes to join the band, and the guitarist played on their debut album, Slide It In.
READ MORE: Star in inauguration crowd steals spotlight with daring move
Coverdale later fired the band, with Sykes revealing why in an interview with Rock Candy Magazine in 2017.
“David said nothing to any of us about having decided to kick us out of the band,” he said.
“I was furious and wasn’t about to accept this. So I went down to the studio where David was still recording his vocals, prepared to confront him. Honest to God, he ran away, got in his car and hid from me!”
Coverdale told Metal Edge magazine it was “unfortunate” that “things went squirrely” between him and Sykes, and that they’d recently spoken again for the first time after “15 years of animosity” and “got on well.”
Upon the news of Sykes’s death, Coverdale took to Instagram, writing: “Just heard the shocking news of John’s passing…My sincere condolences to his family, friends & fans….”
For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.
Remembering the stars we’ve lost in 2025
Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash also paid tribute to the star, simply captioning a photo of Sykes: “RIP.”
Upon his release from Whitesnake, Sykes formed Blue Murder with Tony Franklin and Carmine Appice before pursuing a solo career.
The star is survived by ex-wife Jennifer Brooks Sykes and their three sons, James, John Jr and Sean, according to the Guardian.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.