RIP John Sykes

[Basvarken]

From his official website https://www.johnsykes.com

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.

His passing comes as a total shock. I had no idea he was ill.
I know he had his demons. But apparently they did not do him in. It was cancer that got him...

[ajkula66]

A tremendous player.

RIP, Mr. Sykes and thank you.

[uwe]

Oh wow, that comes as a very sad surprise to me too. Rest in echo-o-o-o-y halls of endlessly over-
dubbed guitars, John.

A very young John in 1982 ...

Is it my ears or is the lead singer Jon Deverill flat throughout?

[doombass]

R.I.P. Definitely a big surprise. In hindsight though he'd not been doing much publically the last years as far as I know.

[Basvarken]

Yes, but that had nothing to do with the cancer.
He had other demons to fight...

[lowend1]

RIP - I found it odd that his website is showing a 2024 date of death but the announcement came only yesterday.

[Basvarken]

Maybe just a typo by someone not used to 2025 yet.
(Could've happened to me)

[uwe]

Yes, but that had nothing to do with the cancer.
He had other demons to fight...

Alcoholism? He sure never got over the fact how Coverdale dumped him (which wasn't nice) and refused to kiss and make up with him even after offers were made from DC in more recent years (otoh, DC has a habit of glossing over past differences).

Given his status following the release of Whitesnake's 1987 album, he made - after a promising start with Blue Murder - very little of his career. Most of the time he was playing with a resurrected Thin Lizzy, but that was only a glorified tribute. Lizzy without Lynott was always gonna be nothing more than the Jimi Hendrix Experience without Jimi.

I saw him twice live: Once with Thin Lizzy at their final gig in Nürnberg in 1983 and once with Whitesnake in early 1984, shortly before Mel Galley broke his arm (because John fell on him as they walked over parked cars in drunken stupor after a late night out and then Mel stumbled also tripping up John in the process) and Jon Lord left for the DP reunion (with a young John giving the unsympathetic parting shot of "That Hammond sound dated us by 10 years!"). He had no doubt stage persona, but his rushed OTT playing didn't impress me much back then, I preferred guitarists who played in time to the music to the Randy Rhoads and John Sykes guitar heros that were prevalent and adored back then. Give me Bernie Marsden anytime.

What John did on 1987 with his guitar overdub armadas became of course an iconic benchmark in sound for the 80s. And Coverdale could never repeat it without him as the lackluster follow-up Slip of the Tongue showed (though neither Vai nor Vandenberg were in any way slouches).

[gearHed289]

This was a shocker. I did not know he was ill. Great player, and singer as well. I really wish he had done more with his career after Blue Murder, or ideally, continue with Blue Murder. They were a bit late to the party though, with the emerging alternative scene. Rest in peace Mr. Sykes.

[Basvarken]

Alcoholism?

Maybe. I don't know.
But I did read about serious depressions.
Which would explain the long periods of complete radio silence.

And - I'm aware on thin ice about this- I think he suffered a severe case of OCD.
Just watch a couple of live videos and you'll see him constantly checking all 4 pots on his Les Paul. And giving the cable a quick whip. All while singing and playing without missing a single note.
I really made me feel uneasy when I saw him live. The musicianship was amazing, but he seemed incredibly stressed.

[uwe]

Weird, he was such a boisterous, overconfident and gung-ho young man when I saw him.

He probably spent his life obsessing about how Coverdale stole his one chance at fame and wealth.

John Kalodner once said something along the lines of how Coverdale preferred to have all of something only very good to owning just half of something entirely brilliant. Very apt, but DC's control urges came from how DP fell apart in 1975/76 without anyone doing much about it and him being the new boy who could not yet grab the reins.

[uwe]

He can now hold sustain contests with his idol Gary ...