On the subsequent tour, Sykes' place was taken by both Adrian Vandenberg and Vivian Campbell, though within just a couple of years, they too would be out of the band – the former temporarily, due to injury, and the latter permanently, due to personal differences.

Following the death of former Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake star John Sykes on 20 January, his former bandmate and fellow guitarist Scott Gorham has hailed Sykes as "a great musician". Gorham and Sykes played together in Thin Lizzy in 1983 and again in the '90s.

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,

John Sykes, the electrifying guitarist who rocked the world in legendary bands Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, has died at 65.

John Sykes, best known for playing guitar with iconic bands Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, has died. He was 65 years old and was reportedly battling cancer when he died on January 20, 2025. Thin Lizzy’s Instagram page confirmed the news and shared a statement about his passing.

John Sykes, the guitarist whose talent helped propel Whitesnake to success, is dead at 65. He also worked with the bands Thin Lizzy and Blue Murder. Dig into all the new Netflix TV shows and movies heading to Netflix this week.

John Sykes died from cancer at age 65. The guitarist played for both Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake before joining Blue Murder with Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice.

The British rock guitarist John Sykes, who played with Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, has died aged 65. A statement on his website said Sykes "passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer". It described him as a "thoughtful,

John Sykes, a veteran hard-rock guitarist who was a member of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and the Tygers of Pan Tang, has died, according to a post on his official Facebook page. He had battled cancer for several years;

A gifted guitarist who played with some of the biggest rock bands and who lived in Blackpool for many years has died, aged 65.

In his final days, he spoke of his sincere love and gratitude for his fans who stuck by him through all these years,” a statement released Monday read.