1. John James Sykes was an English guitarist and singer, best known as a member of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang.
34 Facts About John Sykes
1. 2.
John Sykes fronted the hard rock group Blue Murder and released several solo albums.
3.
John Sykes then joined Whitesnake with whom he recorded the multi-platinum-selling self-titled 1987 album.
4.
However, John Sykes was fired from the band before the record's release under acrimonious circumstances, which led to him forming his own group Blue Murder.
5.
John James Sykes was born 29 July 1959 in Reading, Berkshire.
6.
The Sykes family spent three years living in Ibiza, Spain, where John's father and uncle owned a discotheque.
7.
At age 14, John Sykes took an interest in the guitar when his uncle showed him how to play some of Eric Clapton's licks.
8.
John Sykes made his recording debut on the Streetfighter track "She's No Angel", which appeared on the New wave of British heavy metal compilation New Electric Warriors in 1980.
9.
John Sykes recorded two albums with the group, Spellbound and Crazy Nights, which were both released in 1981.
10.
John Sykes left Tygers of Pan Tang in early 1982, two days before the start of a French tour.
11.
John Sykes was officially confirmed as the band's new guitarist in September 1982, replacing previous guitarist Snowy White, who had quit the band one month earlier.
12.
John Sykes performed on the group's 1983 album Thunder and Lightning, for which he co-wrote the single "Cold Sweat".
13.
John Sykes's inclusion helped revitalise the band, steering them towards a sound more akin to heavy metal.
14.
John Sykes was then tasked with recording new guitar parts for the US release of Whitesnake's 1984 album Slide It In.
15.
John Sykes played a key role in this newfound success, with a more vibrant look and sound compared to the band's previous guitar players.
16.
John Sykes made his live debut with the group in Dublin on 17 February 1984.
17.
John Sykes was heavily involved in the making of Whitesnake's next album, co-writing the majority of the songs with vocalist David Coverdale.
18.
John Sykes pushed the band towards a more mainstream sound, described by Coverdale as "leaner, meaner and more electrifying".
19.
In 2020, Appice stated that he and John Sykes had talked about the possibility of a Blue Murder reunion, but nothing ultimately came of the conversation.
20.
The former had originally been commissioned by Mercury as an extended play of ballads, while the latter served as a companion record to dispel accusations that John Sykes had "gone soft".
21.
John Sykes was later replaced by Richie Kotzen and the group became the Winery Dogs.
22.
In 2013, John Sykes revealed he was working on a new solo album.
23.
Samples from the record were released in 2014 and John Sykes discussed it in a 2017 interview with Young Guitar Magazine.
24.
In January 2019, it was announced that John Sykes had signed a recording contract with Golden Robot Records with the intent of releasing the album that same year.
25.
However, in November 2019, John Sykes announced that he had ended his partnership with Golden Robot Records.
26.
On 1 January 2021, John Sykes released "Dawning of a Brand New Day", his first new song in over 20 years.
27.
John Sykes married Jennifer Brooks-John Sykes on 10 April 1989 after four years of living together.
28.
On 20 January 2025, it was announced via a statement on his social media and website that John Sykes had died from cancer; his official website indicated that he died in December 2024, at the age of 65.
29.
John Sykes regarded himself as a "blues player that plays rock".
30.
John Sykes has been cited as an influence by Michael Amott, Courtney Cox, Marty Friedman, Myles Kennedy, Michael Sweet, and Rich Ward, among others.
31.
In 2004, John Sykes was included on Guitar World's list of the "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time".
32.
John Sykes's main guitar for most of his career was a 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom.
33.
On Loveland, John Sykes mainly used a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Sunburst, which is featured on the cover.
34.
When he first joined Thin Lizzy, John Sykes used a 1977 Gibson Les Paul Custom as a backup guitar.