Her family said: “It is with great sadness that the family of Dame Joan Plowright, the Lady Olivier, inform you that she ...

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 ...

He re-emerged in early 1984 as a member of Whitesnake; and just like he’d done with the Tygers and Lizzy, he breathed new life into David Coverdale’s outfit – which definitely helped their ...

Issues with frontman David Coverdale saw him leave the band shortly before the release of their 1987 self-titled LP, which paved the way for Steve Vai's trailblazing cameo on '89's Slip of the Tongue.

In tandem with frontman David Coverdale, Sykes had pushed the already-successful band into more commercial territory, co-writing almost every track on their self-titled 1987 album.

Sykes eventually became the group’s lead guitar player. A few years later, Sykes was invited to join the band Whitesnake by lead singer David Coverdale.