John Sykes, the guitarist whose talent helped propel Whitesnake to success, is dead at 65. He also worked with the bands Thin Lizzy and Blue Murder.

John Sykes, a veteran hard-rock guitarist who was a member of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and the Tygers of Pan Tang, has died, according to a post on his official Facebook page. He had battled cancer for several years;

The death of former Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy star John Sykes has prompted a wave of loving tributes from his peers. The guitarist died at age 65 after what an official statement describes as "a hard fought battle with cancer."