Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes dies at 65

British rock guitarist John Sykes, who played with Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, has died aged 65.

A statement on his website said Sykes “passed away after a difficult battle with cancer.”

It described him as a “caring, kind and charismatic man whose presence lit up the room” and said that in his final days he expressed “genuine love and gratitude for his fans.”

Sykes appeared on two Whitesnake albums and co-wrote some of the band’s best-known songs, including Still Of The Night and Is This Love.

He began his career in 1980 with the heavy metal band Tygers Of Pan Tang, recording two albums before joining Thin Lizzy in 1982.

He played on the 1983 album Thunder and Lightning before accompanying frontman Phil Lynott on a European tour with a separate band called The Three Musketeers.

In 1984 he joined Whitesnake at the invitation of founder and frontman David Coverdale, recording parts of their album Slide It In and later for their 1987 self-titled album which was a critical and commercial success.

After leaving Whitesnake, he released two albums with his own band, Blue Murder, and later formed a touring version of Thin Lizzy which disbanded in the years before Lynott’s death in 1986.

The statement on Sykes’ website read: “It is with great sadness that we share the passing of John Sykes after a difficult battle with cancer.

“Many will remember him as a man of exceptional musical talent, but for those who did not know him personally, he was a caring, 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 to his fans who stood by him all these years.

“Even though the impact of his loss is profound and the mood dark, we hope that the light of his memory extinguishes the shadow of his absence.”

Paying tribute to X, Coverdale shared a number of photos of him and Sykes together during Whitesnake’s heyday.

“I have just heard the shocking news of John’s passing…” he said.

“My sincere condolences to his family, friends and fans…”

Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash shared a photo of Sykes performing and simply wrote: “RIP.”