Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes dead at 65

Former Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes has died, aged 65.

The legendary musician also played for Whitesnake.

The news was announced on his social media channels.

"It is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer," the statement read.

"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."

The statement continued, "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."

It added, "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."

John joined Thin Lizzy in 1983, appearing on their album Thunder and Lightning. He then joined Whitesnake in 1987, contributing to two of their albums.

In 2019, he spoke of how he was looking forward to playing some live concerts again.

"I'm looking forward to getting out on the road and playing again," he said at the Hall Of Heavy Metal History event. "I kind of go underground and stay there for a while. I don't know, man. Sometimes I just take off and shut it all down. But I'm getting the itch, I've been having the itch to get back out and play, so I'm looking forward to that."