BREAKING NEWS: Ex-Whitesnake Guitarist JOHN SYKES Passes Away- Reaction-Dead at 65 years old R.I.P.

[@shorsbigmouth]

Christ...I might have to take off work tomorrow and listen to all the Lizzy, Whitesnake, and Blue Murder discs again...such a talent. RIP.

[@Jawrathful]

RIP.... Just listened to Valley of the Kings in his honor. One of my favorite songs.

[@jaqueslagerweij6882]

Same here, but with cold sweat.

[@brian-ld4vd]

Blue Murder was Completely Underrated. RIP

[@ericdeplata7803]

Damn cancer. R.I.P. Legend. 🙏

[@Dokken1975]

Nobody had guitar sustain like Sykes. He’s was one of the best! RIP hero!❤

[@johnkatsoudas4767]

One of the greatest guitar players ever in my opinion! One of the greatest guitar tones I have ever listened to. I love everything that John Sykes has done. This one really sucks. Rest In Peace John! Your guitar playing will live on forever! I absolutely despise Cancer! The guitar solo on Crying In The Rain in my opinion is one of the greatest solos ever.

[@500erider]

I second that, about the Crying In The Rain (1987) guitar solo. Totally legendary, and if you didn't get goosebumps from it, I don't think you had a soul. So sad to hear this. This sucks..... R I.P, John.

[@Bob-r4b6v]

I consider that solo the greatest of the entire 1980's. (And that's saying a lot.)

[@UphillGardener-ly5sh]

Sad day, way too cool, way too handsome and a brilliant guitarist

[@FleetAdmiral215]

John Sykes was a Absolute Legend ! Whitesnake- Blue Murder RIP

[@jay-r4v6p]

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!! TOOO YOUNG

[@joecrowsantibanez1733]

Whaaaat. Man that really sucks he is one of the best ever a true legend R.I.P. JOHN. 🙏🙏

[@robertchristiansen5238]

We all fall down……R.I.P. John

[@xSpiegelschattenx]

Magnificent tone, peerless bearing, great voice, plus he genuinely seemed like a nice guy; Sykes might just be my favourite musician.

[@StevenDavid-4q2]

OMG - John was/is an amazing guitarist and his resume of bands he played for and with speaks for itself. He leaves a legacy of music that is incredibly rich. I'm in shock. RIP John Sykes.

[@Mikeswed62]

So sad.....I saw Thin Lizzy in 1983 at Masten's party venue Kristianopel Sweden. It was the tour Thunder & Lightning. John Sykes joined and played with Phil Lynott, Brian Downey, Darren Wharton. A very good gig with Sykes on guitar. Melodic and seductive feeling on his black Les Paul. I had the privilege of talking to them after the gig. Sympathetic lovely group with a slightly drunk Lynott who still found the right notes in his significant way! A memory for life! Superb! RIP John Sykes

[@ivica75768]

R.I.P.

[@mydayis5]

One of the greatest rock guitarists ever! Sad loss of such a great talent. R.I.P John.

[@michael.darrin1963]

Sykes completely revitalized White snake with his songwriting and guitar playing in 1987...I was a Van Halen disciple guitarist till hearing Sykes and his tone...Blue Murder should have been so much bigger.

[@iancouch9688]

Hi from new Zealand.i still remember the day in 1989 I walk into my local record store and brought blue murder self titled..I was 19..I never heard of him..but that album is one of my desert island albums..he is an amazing player. Everything he's done is very much a must for the cd collection..cheers boys.

[@DebtheReb1369]

🙏 RIP John Sykes. I loved your guitar playing. My condolences to his family and friends. Cancer is a sad way to go😢

[@jonasandersson3684]

This was a shock. It's hard to take in. I got the chance to meet him twice and shake his hand and get autographs. The first time he pretended to dislike the David Coverdale T-shirt I was wearing. He was very nice and took the time to talk.

[@mikejelinek1413]

I'm so ill of losing all these legends. I lost a great friend of mine Freddie Salem of the Outlaws fame back in October of last year. Frankly losing Freddie ripped my guts out 40 years we were buddys. Then a week later I lost a old lead singer of mine. It's really sucked all of the guitar playing out of me. God Bless John Sykes you were a fucking legend. RIP always!

[@MrStasIvanov]

One of the best. I just had You're Gonna Break My Heart Again on repeat several days ago prior to this sad news

[@Freedom-Fighter1]

Wow! What a shocking loss. I didn't know he was suffering from cancer. He was such a great influence on so many guitarists. You can’t really hear his influence on my albums, but he was a great influence for me. It's a shame we're losing another great artist. I was hoping to get more music out of him over the years. 65 years old is way too early to pass away. RIP my brother! 🤘

[@andrearel3703]

Well done gents, a fitting tribute from two knowledgeable fans. R.I.P. John Sykes

[@mercuripietro6888]

😢😢😢😢😢😢 R.i.p sykes your one of the best who hard it all the chops, the looks, the moves , besides his playing sykes was just fun to Watch

[@bojuification]

RIP Another one gone. So sad.

[@joeallegra3122]

John was amazing. All his performances are incredible, but one of my favorites is on a Gary Moore tribute album. His rendition of " Still Got The Blues" is phenomenal! Tygers Of Pantang - Spellbound was when I discovered John, he will be missed. Seeing him live with Scotty, Brian, and Marco in 'Thin Lizzy' , with John fronting the band was fantastic.

[@13JDOG666]

John Sykes huh? Damn. Dude was one hell of a badass musician.🥀

[@SARRIE11]

RIP legend.

[@myerkord]

His guitar work on Thin Lizzy Thunder and Lightning was simply AMAZING!!!

[@image30p]

One of the best. Absolutely one of the biggest influences. 😢

[@mattdylan664]

if you don't have Tigers of Pan Tang's Spellbound or Crazy Nights both from 1981, find a copy at any cost now, especially if you are a fan of early Iron Maiden, this one really hurts , his work with Thin Lizzy, Blue Murder, Whitesnake, his solo albums all phenomenal , R.I.P. legend, ..what a sad day 😥

[@keithmartin1067]

RIP John Sykes. Sorely missed. Great talent.

[@frankmcconnellogue3351]

Seen John playing with Thinlizzy on a few occasions here in Ireland ,great player blended into the lizzy lineup seamlessly .rip .

[@chrisstone4648]

In 1987 i was 15, started playing guitar and getting into AC/DC and Vinnie Vincent. My father brings home the 1987 CD, I was blown away, and then of course they charted with a few tracks and they became big in the mainstream. That album, as well as George Lynch on Back for the Attack (1987) and Zakk Wylde on Ozzy’s No Rest for the Wicked (1988) formed my entire teenage fantasy of what a brilliant guitarist should be. Stunning technique, speed, feel, dark emotional melodies and 100% cool. When you idolise people in that way you want them to live forever, or at least outlive me. I’m totally gutted and devastated. 😭

[@duncancurtis5108]

Rock on my dude.

[@luisneves2311]

Down here in Brasil The TRUE WHITESNAKE was a surprised but SYKES was THE MAN ON GUITAR.COVERPLANT FULL OF JEALOUS. RIP JOHN SYKES.

[@RB-pm2ni]

Showed how weak minded DC is, fired the whole band!!!!!

[@SolaChristus]

Always will remember hearing the WS album…that searing M/B Mark III tone….then he fell off my radar until a few years ago when I heard Dawning of a Brand New Day…absolutely did a deep dive on his discography then…absolute master of the guitar and fantastic vocalists as well…

[@threeamigos842]

Rip john.a great player.. now we should respect players like brian robertson and scott gorham and drummer brian downey ,whilst we still have them..all legends in the thin lizzy family and played on all the great albums .

[@damonstewart70]

St,st,st,still of the night!!! One of the guitarist who taught me more than sound heavy. But to THINK heavy

[@Reillo_OriginalBluesRock]

His website states 1959-2024- which leads me to believe he died last year and it has only just been announced ( so not passing on 20/1/25)

[@ryKirwan1]

✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼

[@johncodee9175]

Watched him around 2006 with Thin Lizzy alongside Scott Gorham in Manchester, UK. Great show! Condolences to his family! Whitesnake's 1987 wouldn't be the album it is without John's input.

[@seangerant653]

1987 lp .........john co-write 9 songs ....not 7 .......(the uk lp has 11 songs).......he play /recorded guitar on all 11 songs !!!

[@JonathanCon]

One of the greats. Dreadful news

[@theclockster]

F***ing shit, that was unexpected and way too early. R.I.P.

[@ladirectorguy]

If there was any man I wanted to be when I became a teenager it was John Sykes; the Jimmy Page of the 80s. Good looking, amazing hair, lightning fast and melodic guitar player, stunning vocalist. Every band I followed him to, was made better for him, but he never seemed to stay long enough or the band never evolved. With the exception of Whitesnake. No idea why David Coverdale would get rid of John, that was actually criminal. The whole rock world it felt like, was waiting for John Sykes to break thru.

[@bb-gc2tx]

saw blue murder open for billy squier in 1989

[@timmothymonaghan5236]

RIP John Sykes as a teenager got Thunder n Lightning already was a Lizzy fan wow lucky i got to see him in Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy when John and Scott reformed Thin Lizzy im just in Shock love his time with Blue Murder and TOPT as well of course the NWOBHM Movement he was apart of glad i was a teenager at the time to enjoy this music so Blessed to have been around for such great Rock n Roll Amen !!!!!!!!! John Sykes his music will live on 4 Ever !!!!!!!✌✌✌🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘❤❤

[@Killerklownsfromouterspace]

My 💔

[@scottdunn2178]

Got into Thunder And Lightning when it first came out in 1983 - I didn't realize John was only 7 years older than me. 😢

[@TabithaReminiec3399]

John Sykes was a little over 3 years my senior

[@TabithaReminiec3399]

RIP John Sykes..You'll be missed

[@ivi13]

I own Loveland, Dont say goodbye is a tribute to John Lennon

[@zandig666]

Damn

[@seangerant653]

will we ever hear the first Blue Murder lp with ....ray gillen singing ??????

[@Savoy1984]

The guitar riff in Jelly Roll is un real.

[@TabithaReminiec3399]

Adrian Vandenburg was on the Whitesnake 87 lp

[@vijayseedarsan]

I’ve seen him with Thin Lizzy Whitesnake and as a solo artist alongside Scott Gorham and he was a Titan of the Rock Guitar, A master of the Les Paul .🫱🏽‍🫲🏻

[@freddiekirschman4933]

Wow. Makes me wonder if he was sacrificed on Inauguration Day. That or he got the jab. Rip Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest In Peace Amen

[@IanWorrall-x7i]

A shame this severely underrated album of John’s, Nuclear Cowboy, did not get the exposure it deserved. Rest in peace John kzbin.info/aero/OLAK5uy_mRhWxkfiiPNhY0fvKooeLGxjPymjhOMbg&si=bmxFpYr2kI6RJiJd

[@abqnurse5760]

😢

[@renecruz8973]

RIP, saw John Sykes at Palo Alto the Edge twice, Warfield SF, Slim's, DNA Lounge, Concord Chronicle Pavilion, Petaluma Fox Theater, Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas, awesome Metal times, for the encore song at Fox Theater on Saint Patrick's Day I kept yelling Thunder & Lightening as the crowd chanted along with me & Thin Lizzy played it good times cry! 👩‍🎤 ⃝𖤐𓆩🤘𓆪⸸⁶⁶⁶⛧✞✟୧⍤⃝✞✟୧⍤⃝✞✟୧⍤⃝⁶⁶⁶✞✟୧⍤⃝🎻୧⍤⃝🪕ᕦ⍢⃝🎸ᕤ ୧⍤⃝🗓️🤘𝆺𝅥⃝𖤐

[@AugustoStock-p2p]

Im so sad with these news

[@scottblack9213]

Coverdale's career went into freefall the moment he got rid of Sykes

[@oliviercailleux]

Sad. He was a genius. This man made the sound of the new Whitesnake. He multiplied the sales by 10. When we heard the sound of the first blue murder we all realized this definitively. And Mr Coverdale told us "I composed 95 % of the guitars on 1987....😅😅😅. Perhaps David gave John guitar lessons too...

[@joeallegra3122]

Damon Johnson - Brother Cane , Black Star Riders.

[@MrBlackHimself]

SYKES MADE C0VERDALE A MEGA MILLI0NAIRE. C0VERDALE IS TRASHH...RIP J0HN SYKES IS CLASS.

[@newavatar2947]

David was living in hotels before he met John

[@NYCROCKSTV]

Great tribute guys! John Sykes was a true rock God, a rare talent, who never got his just due. Wish he could see all the appreciation pouring out for him in these last few days, he's a true legend! I guess that's how it always works, once a person passes and it's a fact there won't be any more creative output, their legacy of work is taken stock of and revered. I'm just digging into his solo albums and there is some really great material there too. If you're into the "high energy rock" songs, check out "Look in His Eyes," "System Ain't Working" , and "I Don't Want to Live my Life You" kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHzOenScoLGAbqMsi=Ggwo4JOfAwqhw074

[@crushingalldeceivers]

Ex white snake, nah ex Tigers of Pan Tang, Spellbound was his best work.

[@arturoalmazan5262]

so sad. who gives a shit about an ' presidential inauguration ' of a orange criminal. this is so sad .RIP John sykes. listened to his Thin lizzy guitar playing in thunder and lightning; Whitesnake. man hes gonna be missed

[@TrashDayTheBand]

so sad.. ivermectin peeps

[@KMC544]

Silver and gold

[@AlaskanRockstar]

🕯🤘