John Sykes, a guitarist who played with Thin Lizzy before joining Whitesnake for its smash 1987 album and later forming Blue Murder, has died of cancer at 65.

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."

The renowned guitarist played with several successful bands from the 1980s including Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang.