John James Sykes Bio

 

John James Sykes (eye color: one blue, one green and height: 6ft) was born on July 29th, 1959 in Reading (England), although he resides in (northern) L.A. (California, USA).

John Sykes's own musical experiences begin first listening for the radio to THE BEATLES playing "TWIST AND SHOUT". 
When he was 14 years old (age started playing), his family moved from Reading (England) to Ibiza (Spain), where his stepfather was proprietor of a couple of nightclubs and it was in this place where he felt attraction for the guitar because of a personal experience that he had. 
He most inspired by his uncle Bill.
The instruments he plays are guitar, bass, and piano. 
The first band in which he was it was STREETFIGHTER (a band of Blackpool, where John bought a '77 black les Paul custom in '79 or '80 from a pawn shop) in 1980.

He played in the single "SHE'S NO ANGEL" in a compilation album called "NEW ELECTRIC WARRIORS". 
The members of the group were: John Sykes (guitar), Mervyn Goldsworthy (bass and vocalist), Gary Taylor (drums), and Lee Fenton (guitar). Mervyn later joined to DIAMOND HEAD, SAMSON, and to FM. Taylor joined to TANK. 
John Sykes didn't play in the EP of STREETFIGHTER called "CRAZY DREAM".
In 1981 John Sykes made a demo of 5 songs with BADLANDS.
The band played a live gig at the Markee of London. Neil Murray (bass) was in this band and John Sloman (vocalist) too. 
John Sykes worked in the construction, and tired of getting up early in the mornings (he hates to get up early in the mornings, as he says "I like to play the guitar till the five of the dawn") and tired of that work. 
He decided to throw ahead in the world of the music. 
One day he read in a newspaper an announcement where a band looked for a guitarist for to record an album.

So he called and they told him that it was for the TYGERS OF PAN TANG. 
He made an appointment with them, and they offered him the work for $35 at week. 
John recorded "SPELLBOUND", "CRAZY NIGHTS", and the song "DANGER IN PARADISE" and a solo guitar in the song "LOVE POTION NUMBER 9" from the album "THE CAGE". 
The most embarrassing moment of his career was in the TYGERS OF PAN TANG when they started a show, thundering out on to the stage and John carried on and thundered right off the end of the stage. 
He played in live with them until one day he received Ozzy Osbourne's call. 
Randy Rhoads had died and Ozzy looked for Sykes to play in some concerts. 
This was the reason for which John left the TYGERS OF PAN TANG. 
Although he never ended up to play with Ozzy Osbourne, the stimulus incited him to finish the contract with the records company that he had, since the components of the TYGERS OF PAN TANG had all an individual contract with MCA.

So the single "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME" was recorded to complete the obligation that John had with MCA. 
The artists that made the song "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME" with John Sykes were: Phil Lynott (vocalist and bass) and Brian Downey (drums). 
After they made "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME", John joined to THIN LIZZY (the all time favorite album of John is "LIVE AND DANGEROUS" from THIN LIZZY) and he played in the disk "THUNDER AND LIGHTNING", co-writing the song "COLD SWEAT" with Phil Lynott.
He also made the tour with THIN LIZZY, and two albums in live they released from the tour, " LIFE / LIVE " and "BBC RADIO ONE IN LIVE CONCERT (Reading Festival 1983)". 
He made some concerts with Phil Lynott and Brian Downey in a band called THE THREE MUSKETEERS in 1983 and 1984. 
The year 1984 he joined to David Coverdale's WHITESNAKE for to record the USA press of the "SLIDE IT IN" album, together with Neil Murray that also joined as new bassist. 
But in the acclaimed "1987" album, John was the only guitarist (only in the song "HERE I GO AGAIN '87" appears a solo guitar of Adrian Vandenberg) and he wrote all the songs except two with David Coverdale.

John made all the arrangements, included the new arrangements for "CRYING IN THE RAIN" and "HERE I GO AGAIN". 
Only is necessary to listen the old versions to hear the difference. 
After the album "1987" was released, David Coverdale made the worst business decision of his career. 
Was it jealousy? 
Or was it his ego? 
That made him drop John Sykes, and all the musicians that appeared in the album. 
For the videos and the tour they were all new musicians: Adrian Vandenberg (guitar), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Rudy Sarzo (bass) and Tommy Aldridge (drums). 
After John left WHITESNAKE, he returned home, to England (his favorite place), where his mother and stepfather have a studio in Blackpool, after numerous jam sessions, John made the demo for "BLUE MURDER" that he had signed with the records company Geffen.

BLUE MURDER's musicians were Carmine Appice at the drums and Tony Franklin at the bass, besides John Sykes (of course) that for first time did as vocalist (the singers that more influenced to him and he more admires are: Phil Lynott, David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes).
Nik Green played the keyboards but he really was not part of the group until the "NOTHIN' BUT TROUBLE" that came out in 1993. 
In the year 1990 John released a promo only US radio single called "DON'T SAY GOODBYE", it was a tribute to John Lennon.
In the second album called "NOTHIN' BUT TROUBLE", BLUE MURDER's musicians were: Marco Mendoza at the bass, Nik Green at the keyboards and Tommy O'steen at the drums. 
On December of 1993 they made a live album dedicated to Phil Lynott called "SCREAMING BLUE MURDER- DEDICATED TO PHIL LYNOTT". 
In 1994 THIN LIZZY's old components that made the last studio album ("THUNDER AND LIGHTNING"), they met plus Marco Mendoza and they made some concerts for Japan. 
John Sykes reformed BLUE MURDER under the name of "SYKES".

Without change to the musicians that were the same ones (Mendoza / O'steen). 
The result was the album "OUT OF MY TREE" of the year 1995. 
Later John played on a Stevie Ray Vaughn tribute album called "CROSSFIRE". 
In 1996 John Sykes was touring with THIN LIZZY REUNION '94 for USA and to play the Vibe for Philo concert in Dublin (January '96) and also at the Brixton Academy. 
On October 22nd, 1997 the long awaited ballads album called "LOVELAND" was released. 
In the same year but on december 26th John did release "20TH CENTURY" in Japan, the last to date. 
On july'98 "20TH CENTURY JAPAN TOUR"" was done during five days and the musicians for that tour were: John Sykes (guitars, vocals), Marco Mendoza (bass), 
Jamie Muhoberac (keyboards) and Tommy Aldridge (drums). 
On August'98 the THIN LIZZY REUNION 1994 was touring UK, Denmark and Sweden.

On December 16th, 1998 a compilation (part one) was released only in Japan under the name "CHAPTER ONE" with 14 songs. 
On July 8th '99 some of SYKES's music will be in a new Japanese TV(WOWOW channel) animation program called "KACHO-OUJI" that begins airing.
The new track,"CAUTIONARY WARNING""is the show's opening song and other SYKES material will appear in the show as background music.
And on Augast 25th that sound track album of this animation program "KACHO-KOURIN" was released in Japan.
On November-December THIN LIZZY REUNION 1999 touring in Europe.
On July 17th, 2000 the THIN LIZZY's Official album of THIN LIZZY REUNION 1999 in Germany, "ONE NIGHT ONLY" released.
On August 9th, 2000 a renewal compilation album "CHAPTER ONE-BEST OF JOHN SYKES" released.
On October 19th, 2000 THIN LIZZY WORLD TOUR 2000 is touring in Europe, the start with Denmark.

On October 27th, 2000 the long awaited (3 years!) new studio recording album "NUCLEAR COWBOY" was released in Japan.