John Sykes (65) – guitarist/songwriter with Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake etc. – was born 29 July 1959 in Reading, England and discovered his gift for guitar through learning the blues licks of Eric Clapton, Gary Moore and Jimmy Page. The Sykes family spent three years living in the Spanish island of Ibiza, where John’s father and uncle owned a discothèque. Afterward, they moved back to Reading.
At age 14, Sykes took an interest in the guitar when his uncle showed him how to play some of Eric Clapton’s licks. For the next two years, he practised playing blues songs on an old nylon-string guitar. After moving to Blackpool, Sykes was invited to join the band Streetfighter. It was the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal that gave him his start in the early ’80s, and while early band Tygers of Pan Tang were relative minnows, Sykes’ lead work was among the gutsiest on the scene.
Post-Tygers, Sykes failed an audition for Ozzy Osbourne’s solo band (other star vehicles missed over the years included Def Leppard and Guns N’ Roses). But when Thin Lizzy drafted him in 1982, the new boy quickly made his mark, steering the following year’s Thunder and Lightning towards a heavy metal sound that divides fans to this day.
Unfortunately, by then, Lizzy was running out of road. “I feel sorry for John,” Scott Gorham told Classic Rock later. “We knew that was going to be our last album. I don’t think we informed John because we couldn’t believe it ourselves, but it was definitely going down. John got short-changed on the whole thing”.
Fortunately, by 1984, he’d signed with another notable British band – this one headed in the right direction.
“I wanted Whitesnake to be leaner, meaner and more electrifying,” frontman David Coverdale told Metal Hammer. “The reason I invited John Sykes into the band was to actually afford that transition, or someone of that style, and it happened to be Sykes. And that was it.”
Sykes tracked guitar for that year’s six-million-selling Slide It In, then burnished his songwriting credentials on Whitesnake’s self-titled album of 1987, co-writing nine songs including mega-hits Is This Love and Still Of The Night.
But there was always friction with notoriously difficult Coverdale, and the guitarist was out of the line-up before the album had even started its march towards eight million sales – leaving a string of high-profile players including Vivian Campbell and Steve Vai to fill his shoes.
“He didn’t sound like any other previous Whitesnake guitarist,” the latter told Guitar World. “His thumbprint is an indelible part of that record.”
As for Sykes, he went on to form Blue Murder – envisaging a “very heavy” power-trio. alongside bassist Tony Franklin and former Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice – but the tide had turned and grunge was in the ascendancy. “It’s amazing sonically,” Myles Kennedy told Classic Rock of Blue Murder’s self-titled debut. “But more than that, it was about John Sykes’ guitar. He’s a soulful player with chops balancing technique and emotion.
“Why didn’t they become superstars? Timing! A sea-change happened with Appetite For Destruction, a precursor to the 90s – raw, in your face. The era of slick ’80s rock was almost over when Blue Murder’s album came out. They made a second a few years later, but it didn’t stand a chance.”
From the mid-’90s into the post-millennium, the ever-prolific Sykes released four solo albums, while (somewhat divisively) fronting a reformed Lizzy line-up in place of the late Phil Lynott. In 2008 he recorded an album “Bad Boy Live” from a solo tour in Japan. Even though he could sustain himself quite well, commercially, he never again hit the heights of 1987’s Whitesnake. Still he claimed to have “no interest in ever talking to Coverdale again”.
Cruel timing and clashes with David Coverdale kept Sykes from rock’s super-league but he was a top-tier player with a sound all his own.
Even up to 2020, he was in talks with Carmine Appice to start up Blue Murder once more, but in the end it did not work out, while later he was diagnosed with cancer, which ultimately took his life in late December 2024.
Comprehensive Interview with John Sykes By: Troy Wells for BallBuster Music 1989
Under appreciated musical talents of the 80’s seem to be in abundance, particularly in recent years, when a strong image and even musicianship aren’t as respected as they once were. Though sorely missed, the days of the guitar hero seem to be gone, since today’s trend oriented players show little sign of hope for the future. John Sykes defines the very term guitar hero. His distinct vibrato and immediately recognizable tone set him apart from an era too quickly forgotten. Although lending a signature sound to bands such as Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake, he somehow continues to go largely unnoticed by the mainstream. Forging ahead, while showing remarkable diversity as a guitarist/singer/songwriter, John Sykes continues to explore new territory as a solo artist. Recently, he has been touring with a revamped lineup of Thin Lizzy. I spoke to him after witnessing an exceptional set of Lizzy classics in Detroit.
BB: Let’s start with the Thin Lizzy thing. A lot of people have been giving this tour flack, “Oh you can’t have Lizzy without Phil [Lynott].” And my take on it – tell me if I’m correct or not – is that this isn’t saying, “Here’s Thin Lizzy. Here’s the future of Thin Lizzy.” But this is a tribute to a great artist who wrote great songs and it’s like you’re celebrating it.
JS: Exactly! That’s exactly what it is. I don’t know what everyone’s making a big
deal about. We’re out celebrating Phil’s music man, and trying to carry the flag a
little bit. Cause nobody talks much about Phil. Phil’s one of the greatest ol’ rock n’
rollers around. I mean although everybody knows of Phil, nobody gives him any
credit. Hardly anybody says much about him. There’s not a big sort of thing going
on about Phil. So its nice to get out and remind people how great his songs are
and what a great talent he was – an incredible songwriter. His songs today. We get
people coming out to gigs that were too young – I bet you’re pretty young. You
probably never saw us with Phil. People come out and see it and they love it. It’s a
testament to his great songwriting. He was a wonderful person and a great guy.
Definitely a one off – 110% full on rock n’ roll. I’ve never met anybody like him. He’s
a real special guy. It’s a privilege to do it. We get together, go out and play these
songs, have a bit of fun. Gives me and Scott [Gorham] a chance, and actually
Darren [Wharton], cause Darren’s usually out with us. He’s finishing up his
album. He’s been working on it for five years, and he’s just like, knuckling down
and wrapping it up. So he’s doing that. It gives us a chance to get together, talk
about the old times, hang out, tell a few lies, go out and have some fun, and play
some great music! I mean how bad is that? You saw the reaction tonight. People
don’t believe it ’til they see it. Let’s put it this way – we went to Dublin, Ireland -
which is Phil’s home territory – and we sold the place out two nights. If you can go
to Phil’s backyard and play like that. It was madness! The audiences were going
absolutely crazy and it was wonderful. Phil’s mother came. And to be accepted by
those people, in Phil’s backyard, with the Dublin Irish crowd there. To be actually
accepted and embraced by those people – it’s a special thing. It feels good. As far
as other people not digging it – I really don’t give a fuck.
BB: What happened with Brian [Downey] dropping out? Did he drop out for that
reason too [people opposing this tour]?
JS: No. Brian didn’t drop out for that reason. Brian dropped out because he’s got a
new baby daughter. He spent a lot of his earlier years on the road and didn’t
spend a lot of time with his sons I guess, back in the day. He’s just decided he’s
at a time in his life where he wants to spend time at home and watch his
daughter grow up and not be schleppin’ around the world. I want to play. Scott
likes to play. So it gives us a chance to get out and do that. I’m not gonna go out
and start re-recording anything or recording new Lizzy songs. We did do the live
thing, but we’re not gonna go out as “Thin Lizzy” and do new songs. I’m not gonna
do that – that’s not what its about for me.
BB: As a testament to what this tour is about: I saw this tour back in ’97 [with Brian]. Being a huge Sykes fan, I was going just to see you and I walked out saying, “What a great bunch of songs!” I ended up going out and getting all of the old Lizzy stuff and am now a huge fan of Phil and the band. So because of you doing this, you’ve made a hardcore Phil fan.
JS: Excellent. That’s nice man. We kinda do that all over. It’s hard to get people in the business to accept the fact that we’re doing this.
BB: And people still don’t know that you’re singing now. And you’re a hell of a singer! You’re my favorite guitar player of all time, by the way. I don’t mean to be all fanatical just because I’m sitting here talking to you, but I gotta cop to it. You have now become one of my favorite voices as well.
JS: Well that’s a nice compliment. Thank you.
BB: You’re not one of these real technical kind of guys, but you sing with the soul that you play with.
JS: Yeah, I try to.
BB: And you play and sing like a huge fuckin’ black guy to be honest. That’s the kind of soul you have.
JS: Well I try and put my soul into it first off.
BB: Well you do, and it seems to be effortless. You seem to be a channel that’s always on.
JS: I’ve been in the game for so long, that I hope I’m getting something right.
BB: Isn’t it hard to believe that last month was 15 years for Phil?
JS: [in disbelief] Jesus.
BB: How is his mom doing? She seems like a sweetheart.
JS: She’s beautiful. I saw her in Dublin when we played there. She’s gorgeous, she looks wonderful. She’s a very nice lady. We had a good time and a good talk. And she’s all for it. So that’s all good. She’s a little sweetheart.
BB: Speaking of people being unaware of you to a large extent, I was talking to Glenn Hughes a couple weeks ago, and he raved about you also. Speaking of soul brothers. I compared you to him, in that, you’re sort of a best-kept secret. You two are sort of a best-kept secret in the U.S.
JS: I kinda like being the underdog. I kinda dig it in a strange sort of way.
BB: Isn’t it frustrating that everybody in other countries – South America, Europe, Japan – everybody knows you and Glenn. Over here it’s like, “Who?” You guys were in major, major bands. You wrote a fuckin’ diamond selling album [Whitesnake]!
JS: We sold like, 17 million copies or something ridiculous. If they don’t know me, they know some of my songs! [laughs] You know what I mean? –
BB: Doesn’t that frustrate the hell out of you? It frustrates me.
JS: I’m so used to it, man. Like I said, I kinda dig being the underdog. I like it. ’Cause when people check it out, it’s like, “Oh man where did that guy come from?” So I don’t care. Eventually people will catch up to it. They usually do later on.
BB: 20 years after you’re gone, they’ll say, “Hey that John Sykes was pretty good!” [laughs]
JS: Exactly! Isn’t that always the way?
BB: To catch people up – your recent solo album, Nuclear Cowboy. The guy I got it from knows I’m a big Sykes fan and says, “Dude there’s fuckin’ drum loops on it. It’s all modern, trendy production.” So I was all ready to hate it. I fucking LOVE the album! And I almost feel guilty for loving it because I hate all that modern stuff that’s going on [in music today].
JS: Yeah, but you know what? You gotta be big enough to step up and just enjoy it and fess up to it. A lot of people just come out with. That’s sort of narrow minded man to say, “Oh it’s got this, that or the other on it.” Any music that people don’t give a chance to. I mean my favorite hottest album that I love right now. My best album that I’m burning up on my CD is Eminem.
BB: [laughs] Are you serious?!
JS: Oh, I love it!
BB: You just crushed me!
JS: No man, it’s fucking happening!
BB: Oh Dude!
JS: Listen, I love that stuff. I love [Dr.] Dre’s stuff.
BB: No shit?! See you are a huge black guy!!! –
JS: Yeah, there you go!!! [laughs] I just love all the rhymes and the stories man. Being a writer, and knowing how hard it is to write lyrics and stuff. When you check out Eminem’s rhymes and his lyrics. To write the way he does, that’s really hard to do. A lot of his songs are really, really well written. The guy deserves a lot of credit. He’s really talented.
BB: [not convinced] That’s very interesting coming from you. A lot of my friends will be crushed by that.
JS: Yeah I know, but they’ll get it later on. They’ll pick up on it later.
BB: The reason I love Nuclear Cowboy. It’s not like you just did the same thing that’s going on today. The problem with all the new bands is the whole album is centered around production and getting that certain guitar sound. They forget the tune! You kept the melody. You kept the songs and your vocals. You didn’t try and grunge up your style.
JS: That was it man. I intentionally did that album with a new edge to it. Not all of it has got a new edge, but I must say a lot of it’s got like, a new vibe to it. Some of its in my old traditional way. So I combined it. That’s where I kinda see things moving a little bit anyways. The hip-hop thing’s been around for 15 years or something? And it ain’t going anywhere. It’s staying. People really like it. It’s all over the charts. And if you combine a bit of heavy stuff with some of those flavors and try to move into a new area.I thought it might be pretty cool. So that’s kinda what I did. I did use some loops, but with drums combined. So I was using flavors and textures of that. Like you say, if you check the album out. It’s not a quick fix album. But once you get into it, you’re going to listen to that probably ten years from now. Man, I love that album. It’s not a throw-away you know. It’s a value album – to me anyway.
BB: There’s a lot of dynamics on the album that set it apart from today’s bands. There’s a lot of interesting stuff going on.
JS: For people that want to get that record, come to my website: www.johnsykes.com It’s for sale for $15, otherwise imports are like $35.
BB: Another album I loved was Loveland. Although that turned off a lot of my
friends too, “It’s not rock, it’s ballads.” People get uptight about ballads.
JS: Strange how people can’t just go with the flow a little bit. They pigeon hole you
into one thing, and you can’t ever do anything else. I don’t want to keep doing the
same thing over and over or I’m going to get bored. And if I’m bored, that’s not
me, I’ve got to go into some new areas in order to keep myself fresh. Do you know
what I’m saying?
BB: Yeah, even on Loveland you still were experimenting, like on Wuthering Heights.
JS: If you check out all the history of my stuff, you don’t see much of it that’s the same. I kinda try and change it up. I don’t put any boundaries on myself and I’m not scared to go into different areas and check stuff out. I’m a songwriter and a musician – I don’t see myself as any one thing. I know I’m a rock guitar player, that’s what I’m known for. But if something turns me on…..the fact that I like Eminem and stuff. I’m open to all kinds of music and I want to learn from all kinds of music.
BB: Now I’m really scared about the next album! –
JS: I’m not going to do an Eminem album, but you know! I was listening to Dre years ago when he did The Chronic. I just take bits of everything – whatever comes into my head. I try and keep myself fresh and interesting. Who knows, maybe I’ll stumble on a hit one day.
BB: You are so different from album to album. Is it because you’re experimenting or is it because of the changing tides in music today that you’re trying to find a direction to go in?
JS: I don’t sort of sit and fabricate something or go anywhere that I’m not happy going. I’m not gonna jump on the grunge scene. I never did. I’m not gonna suddenly sell out and go in one direction that I’m totally not interested in just ’cause I’m looking for a hit. First and foremost, I’ve gotta please myself. If I’m doing something that I’m enjoying, or something that I feel is a bit more experimental – somewhere I want to check out – I’m gonna go then. I don’t give a fuck! I gotta go there for myself. Number one thing I’ve got to do is please me first. If I like it, that’s all I care about. I mean I love the fact that fans like my stuff but I can’t sit and think, “I’m gonna write an album specifically for this crowd.” I’m not doing it like that. I’m doing it to please myself first and hopefully somebody will like it. If they don’t – that’s fine too.
BB: What did Japan say about Nuclear Cowboy?
JS: They liked it. Japan’s a good market. They still like older rock stuff. Nuclear Cowboy is really an American album.
BB: Somebody I have to ask you about is Ray Gillen, who actually was in Blue Murder. He’s also a favorite of mine, so it plagues me everyday knowing that a tape of that exists. –
JS: Have you got that one?
BB: No – that’s why I’m mentioning it. That first Blue Murder album is one of my top 10 albums of all time.
JS: Yeah, that was a good album. Bob Rock did a great production on that record. It sounds real good. There was a lot of passion in that record. There was a lot of pent up tension.
BB: Is there a full version of the album with him singing?
JS: There was a lot of stuff.I did demos of a lot of it.
BB: That was in the early drum machine days (of the band) – Right? I’ve read where Ray has said that in the beginning, you guys rehearsed with just a drum machine.
JS: No – it was later. It was with Cozy on it. It was me, Cozy Powell, Ray Gillen and Tony Franklin. I gotta look to find the tapes. I know I’ve got some stuff already mixed down from those sessions. I’ve gotta go look for it. Maybe I’ll put them on my site sometime.
BB: Do you have him singing the whole album though?
JS: I think he sings Out of Love. He sings Ptolemy. Maybe Riot.
BB: Is the reason he left because [John] Kolodner wanted to make you the frontman.
JS: Ray was staying over at my place – actually we were in England at the time. And I was auditioning Ray and you know, trying him out. I had to do a lot of work with him recording stuff. And then we sent the tapes over to John in L.A. I’d already made the mistake. Well, I don’t know whether it was a mistake or not, but I’d already sent the tapes of me singing the demos to John. So he’d been listening to it and listening to it. I think part of it was. Ray was a great singer. But a lot of it might have been, you know when you get tuned into something one way it’s hard to break out of that sound.
BB: I read a quote from Ray that said he got kicked out because Kolodner didn’t think he could sing. Did Kolodner not like his voice?
JS: He just didn’t want to go with his voice.
BB: Did it take awhile to get used to singing lead and playing at the same time? ‘Cause it didn’t look like it did.
JS: Actually, at first it was. It was kinda hard to get the syncopation and sing. I mean, I never really had a problem with the guitar, I was really comfortable with that. But when I tried to sing along with it.Different story. And then eventually, a few weeks of trying it, it just [clicked]. And I started doing it.
BB: How long would you say you and Ray were together?
JS: Only a few months, but we were friends for a long time. What a shame. Great guy. He was a real good friend.
BB: I heard back at the time, that there was a bunch of singers that you had tried and that each singer sounded good on some songs but not on others. Who were the other singers?
JS: I tried David Glen Eisley. I tried Tony Martin. Derek St. Holmes – great singer. I tried a few people. I tried a few unknown people in England too. You get some of them singing certain ones okay, but then sometimes it would go up higher, and I had already sung the demos, and some people couldn’t get up there.
BB: Sex Child was never done live was it?
JS: No – I never did that one live.
BB: How about Black Hearted Woman?
JS: I think I might have done that one.
BB: Speaking of Kolodner, I heard that recently he tried to reunite you and [David] Coverdale. What was your answer?
JS: He hasn’t recently, but a couple of years ago he did. He tried to do it.
BB: What was your response?
JS: I’m open. It was so long ago and so old. If we can go out there and have fun and play the songs and turn on a lot of people and make some money – I’m ready to go.
BB: I hate to say this because I do love Coverdale and Whitesnake, but I’m almost kinda happy that you ended up getting kicked out, ’cause I wouldn’t have gotten a Blue Murder album!
JS: [laughing] I would’ve never done it!! I probably wouldn’t have been singing! I never would’ve started. That album wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been kicked out of Whitesnake, cause I probably wouldn’t have had the old fire.
BB: Have you heard his new album, Coverdale’s?
JS: Yeah. Marco [Mendoza] played on it actually.
BB: It was pretty good, I thought.
JS: Yeah, it’s alright. It kinda reminds me of his 70’s sort of Whitesnake. It’s kind a laid back.
BB: I read somewhere that when you were working on the Whitesnake album, you were having trouble getting your guitar tone and there was a producer working on an album next door that came over and helped you get it. (That tone has since become a signature sound for Sykes’ career.)
JS: Yeah, that was Bob Rock. He came over and we hooked up. He knew what I was looking for. He was tuned into modern sounds and guitar and he’s a guitar player you know. And he’s a good guy. I haven’t seen him in a long time, since the Blue Murder stuff. He’s been busy doing everything on Geffen, Metallica and everything else.
BB: What’s your take on bootlegs?
JS: Nothing.
BB: Do you hate it or do you understand the need for it?
JS: It depends if the gig sucks. I don’t mind man. You know, like I say, if the gigs a good one and your playing and your form man. It’s all good. –
BB: Do you get any of them?
JS: I’ve had a lot sent. You know, bootlegs are okay. It’s something that’s always gonna happen you know. Actually it’s probably good. I wouldn’t have minded if somebody bootlegged tonight’s gig.
BB: Speaking of your singing, who are some of your favorite singers?
JS: Glenn Hughes, David Coverdale, Phil Lynott, The Beatles, Johnny Winter – I like some of his blues stuff. A lot of old pop stuff I used to like. All kinds of shit. Everything really when I was growing up. I used to sing along with anything and everything, really. But my favorite singers are like David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes. I like Steve Walsh a lot – he’s a great singer.
BB: Is there going to be another Blue Murder album?
JS: Maybe at some point there will be. I don’t know. I think Carmine [Appice] is pushing for it. He’s doing a King Cobra album right now. I gotta figure out what I’m doing.
BB: Glenn told me an interesting story about you being involved in an injury to Mel Galley’s arm. –
JS: Me and Mel was out, piss drunk. Well, we were all out – David and me and Mel and a couple of other guys. We’d been to the fairgrounds, somewhere in Germany. So Mel says to me, “We’re gonna run over this Volkswagen” or something. So he takes off and starts running and I was right behind him. We run over the back of it and over the fucking top of it and onto the hood of it. He slipped on the hood and fell right down. We were both moving – we were running and I was close behind him. And he slipped off the hood and I fell on top of him and his arm fucking broke. I felt so bad about it – I still feel really bad about it. He went into the hospital and what happened was, the surgeon who worked on him pinched a nerve in his arm or something and fucked his arm up. He should have sued him. It was one of those freak things. I still feel really bad about it. I feel bad that I was the guy that fell on his arm, but it was the surgeon who fucked him up permanently.
BB: If you could put your dream band together around you, who would you choose from anyone in history?
JS: I’ve played with so many great players. Aynsley Dunbar, Cozy Powell, Carmine Appice, Tommy Aldridge. I’ve been so spoiled with drummers – Brian Downey. I’ve played with so many good musicians. I’ve been really fortunate like that. Maybe if I had time, I could sit down and try really see.I wouldn’t want to say anyone in particular. Not anyone I can think of right off the cuff anyways.
BB: Basically, you’ve already lived the dream bands.
JS: I’ve been lucky to play with some really good musicians.
BB: I read a guitar magazine, where you ranked in the top three best vibratos.
JS: That’s pretty cool.
BB: Both you and Yngwie [Malmsteen] were in there. There’s another guy who’s not hip to name these days.
JS: Great guitar player. He’s another one later on, everyone will go “Oh man that guy, he’s so talented.” He’s such a great talent, that kid.
BB: There’s a label out of France called Axe Killer that has remastered the ’87 Whitesnake album. Have you seen it?
JS: Yeah, I’ve got that.
BB: It sounds phenomenal. They also give you a bunch of bonus tracks and You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again is on there. That’s a great tune.
JS: That was on in some club we went to. Someone played it I think actually, because I walked in. I didn’t even realize it was me until the solo kicked in. I was like, “That son of a bitch is trying to cop all my licks!” [laughs] I figured out it was me! ‘Cause I haven’t heard the song for so long man, we recorded it and it wasn’t on the ’87 album.
BB: Well, that’s all my questions. I really appreciate you giving me the time.
JS: Hey listen, I’m glad you enjoyed it tonight. Thanks for coming down and thanks for the interview. Spread the Gospel man!
