Legendary English guitarist John Sykes has died, after a battle with cancer on January 20th, 2025. He was 65 years old. The news was spread via posts to his official social media accounts. Sykes was an enormous figure in Classic rock, Heavy Metal, and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal as a songwriter, guitarist, and frontman in bands such as Tygers Of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Blue Murder, Sykes and more. He last released new singles in 2021. RIP.

“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.”