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 English guitarist co-wrote Whitesnake's 'Is This Love,' one of the defining power ballads of late-'80s hard rock.

John Sykes, the legendary hard-rock guitarist who was a member of White Snake and Thin Lizzy has died at 65 following a battle with cancer, a post on Sykes’ Facebook page confirmed Monday night.