Just heard that John Sykes (Thin Lizzy, Tygers of Pan Tang, Whitesnake, Blue Murder, etc.) has passed away after a battle with cancer. He was a great guitarist and I especially loved his work with the first Blue Murder album and Tygers of Pan Tang's "Spellbound" album. RIP.

https://metalinjection.net/this-is-j...etc-dead-at-65

Rip

still of the night

Great guitarist who got screwed by Coverdale and never forgave him. RIP.

Sad to hear this. Tygers and Blue Murder put out some underrated albums. He was in a short-lived band called Streetfighter in the late 70s ...they only released a few songs and were basically NWOBHM but sounded very Lizzy-esque. RIP

Definitely. Sykes co-wrote Coverdale's most successful album, and then he fired the entire band, including Sykes, right before the tour. I saw a concert on that tour, and it would have been nice to see Sykes there.

Wow, I've never heard of Streetfighter, I'll have to check it out.

I have read a lot of mixed reports between Coverdale firing him to Sykes quitting to it being a mutual decision. All of this happened before the album was released or even finished so no one knew how big that album would become.

This is a pretty good overview which gives a lot of different perspectives/quotes from various involved parties.

True, there's always more than one side to a story. Maybe I'm biased because I'm a Sykes fan.

Coverdale is an Alpha. They require creative control. They always end up with it. If they can't get their way, they leave.Band members who recognize this, and aren't happy with it leave. Those that push back get fired. It's their way or the highway. Whitesnake albums are just Coverdale solo albums and the band is hired help. The 1987 Whitesnake album is 100% the album Coverdale wanted to make.
Those who have both solo and band careers are not Alphas. Those who quit the band and go solo only are Alphas. They need the control that comes with a solo career.
Take Deep Purple. His was able to wrest control of Deep Purple's sound. Blackmore didn't fight back, just left. When Come Taste The Band came out, Coverdale had control. Deep Purple was his now. After all the other members quit Coverdale could have replaced them, don't know if he could have legally used the Deep Purple name.

RIP, great guitarist.

I became a John Sykes fan when Thin Lizzy's Thunder and Lightning album came out. He breathed new life into that band, and if not for the drug problems of Phil Lynott and Scott Gorham they may have continued on for several more years. Sykes just killed it with Lizzy.

Then he saved Whitesnake and helped make that band superstars in the U.S.

I saw him with, "Thin Lizzy," in 2000. He was phenomenal - lead vocals and guitar. He sliced his finger open on a string, so he just went to the side of the stage and super glued it back together and kept on playing! Unreal!

I remember the first time I heard that album, right when it came out. I can't imagine anyone not thinking it would be a monster.

Me too. In my case I first heard Still of the Night on the radio (on Metal Shop, a syndicated hard rock/metal show that I listened to every week, usually recording it off the radio), really liked it and bought the album the week it came out (I was barely aware of Whitesnake before that). My first exposure to Sykes.