John James Sykes (29 July 1959 – December 2024) was an English guitarist, best known as a member of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang.

Following a stint in the heavy metal band Tygers of Pan Tang in the early 1980s, Sykes joined Irish hard rock group Thin Lizzy for their 1983 album Thunder and Lightning.

However, Sykes was fired from the band before the record's release under acrimonious circumstances, which led to him forming his own group Blue Murder.

Influenced by the likes of Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore and Gary Moore, Sykes was known for his distinctive playing style, characterised by his wide fret-hand vibrato, use of pinch harmonics and sense of melody.

[1][2] The Sykes family spent three years living in Ibiza, Spain, where John's father and uncle owned a discothèque.

[3] 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.

[7] After leaving Tygers of Pan Tang, Sykes auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne's band and was briefly a member of John Sloman's Badlands.

[8] After his departure from Tygers of Pan Tang, Sykes was still contractually obligated to deliver a single to the band's label MCA Records.

Through Tygers of Pan Tang producer Chris Tsangarides, Sykes got in touch with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott.

After Thin Lizzy's break-up, Sykes was initially keen to continue working with Phil Lynott in what would become Grand Slam.

Sykes played a key role in this newfound success, with a more vibrant look and sound compared to the band's previous guitar players.

[23] Sykes was heavily involved in the making of Whitesnake's next album, co-writing the majority of the songs with vocalist David Coverdale.

[28] As recording progressed though, Coverdale's relationship with the rest of the group began to sour and he summarily fired all the other members, including Sykes.

By his account, Sykes recommended Marco Mendoza and Tommy Aldridge to the band (both of whom would end up joining), after which he never heard from Coverdale again.

[31] Coverdale acknowledged speaking with Sykes about a possible reunion, but ultimately decided that the two had been "their own bosses" too long for it to work.

"[24] Following his dismissal from Whitesnake, Sykes formed Blue Murder, which featured bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice.

The former eventually left to join Black Sabbath, while latter was let go after Geffen Records' A&R executive John Kalodner encouraged Sykes to front the band himself.

[34][37] While their debut album would go on to sell an estimated 500,000 copies according to Sykes, Blue Murder's success fell short of both the band's and the label's expectations.

"[7][19] During the recording of Blue Murder's sophomore album, Franklin and Appice left the group; they were replaced by Marco Mendoza and Tommy O'Steen, respectively.

Ultimately Def Leppard would hire Vivian Campbell, who incidentally had replaced Sykes in Whitesnake five years prior.

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 Sykes had "gone soft".

[5][64][65][66] Sykes listed Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Gary Moore, Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Allan Holdsworth and John McLaughlin among his biggest influences.

[9] Some of the main characteristics of Sykes's playing were his fast alternate picking, doubled‐note lines, wide fret-hand vibrato, pinch harmonics and tapping.

[70][71] Likewise, Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy described Sykes as a "soulful player with chops balancing technique and emotion".

[72] Jackson Maxwell, writing for Guitar World, noted how Sykes "could go full-throttle with the most impressive speedsters, but [...] will be best known as a player who shone brightest when showcasing his other talents.

[81] For much of Whitesnake's 1987 album and the first Blue Murder record, Sykes used two Mesa/Boogie Coliseum heads with Mark III pre-amp sections and six 6L6 power tubes.

[67] During his first stint with Thin Lizzy, Sykes used a Boss chorus pedal, which was retired after Whitesnake bassist Neil Murray complained it was too noisy.