Legendary guitarist John Sykes, known for his work with Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, and the Tygers of Pan Tang, has died at the age of 65 following a battle with cancer, according to a statement shared by his official Facebook page on Monday.

“It is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard-fought battle with cancer,” the statement posted by Sykes’s Facebook page read.

“He will be remembered by many as a man with exceptional musical talent but for those who didn’t know him personally, he was a thoughtful, kind, and charismatic man whose presence lit up the room. He certainly marched to the beat of his own drum and always pulled for the underdog. In his final days, he spoke of his sincere love and gratitude for his fans who stuck by him through all these years,” the statement further said.

“While the impact of his loss is profound and the mood somber, we hope the light of his memory will extinguish the shadow of his absence,” the post concluded.

Sykes, known for his electrifying performances and signature curls, was a defining figure in hard rock, contributing to iconic tracks like Still of the Night and Is This Love for Whitesnake’s 1987 self-titled album.

Born in Reading, England, in 1959, Sykes began his musical career as a teenager with Streetfighter before joining the Tygers of Pan Tang during the rise of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the late 1970s. After a brief stint with the band, he moved on to join Thin Lizzy in 1982.

Sykes later joined Whitesnake, where he contributed to their most commercially successful album 1987. However, disagreements with Coverdale led to his departure from the band.

In 1988, Sykes founded Blue Murder alongside drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tony Franklin, releasing two albums before the group disbanded. He also briefly stepped in for Def Leppard’s late guitarist Steve Clark and went on to helm a solo career.