Editing Thin Lizzy (section)

====1996–2010: John Sykes era====
[[File:John Sykes with Thin Lizzy 2007.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Thin Lizzy onstage|John Sykes fronting the reformed version of Thin Lizzy in December 2007]]

In 1996 John Sykes decided to reactivate Thin Lizzy, presenting the band as a tribute to Phil Lynott's life and work.<ref name="sykes99">{{cite web |url=http://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/johnsykes.html |title=Interview with John Sykes, July 1999 |publisher=Melodicrock.com |access-date=3 April 2011 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073335/http://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/johnsykes.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> He decided to take on the role of lead vocals himself in the absence of Lynott, and persuaded Scott Gorham, Brian Downey and Darren Wharton to return to the fold. To complete the line-up, Marco Mendoza continued in Lynott's role as bass player. They received criticism for using the Thin Lizzy name without Lynott being present,{{sfn|Byrne|2006|p=214}} but the band only played hits from Thin Lizzy's back catalogue, and did not compose any new material.<ref name="sykes99" />

In 1997, [[Tommy Aldridge]] filled in on drums when Brian Downey was unable to, and became a full member when Downey left shortly thereafter. This line-up remained stable through to 2000, when the group recorded a live album, ''[[One Night Only (Thin Lizzy album)|One Night Only]]''. The band went on to tour the US playing clubs in early 2001, but Wharton had already left the band by the time of the tour. From 2000 to 2003, Mendoza toured with [[Ted Nugent]], and with [[Whitesnake]] in 2004. Sykes released two solo albums during 2002–03, while Gorham worked with his band [[21 Guns (band)|21 Guns]]. Thin Lizzy performed sporadically during this period, recruiting some musicians for single tours, such as bass guitarist [[Guy Pratt]] for the Global Chaos Tour of 2003.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/thin-lizzy-confirm-touring-lineup/ |title=Thin Lizzy Confirm Touring Lineup |work=[[Blabbermouth.net]] |date=5 March 2003 |access-date=4 November 2017 |archive-date=7 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107055335/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/thin-lizzy-confirm-touring-lineup/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Wharton later stated that Thin Lizzy would have been better suited to playing fewer concerts, in bigger venues. He also felt that after the experience of fronting his own band [[Dare (band)|Dare]], it was not satisfying enough to play keyboards behind Gorham and Sykes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/nl/interviews/view/id/1194 |title=Interview with Darren Wharton |publisher=Lords of Metal |access-date=17 April 2011 |archive-date=2 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602090929/http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/nl/interviews/view/id/1194 |url-status=live }}</ref> Sykes said that all the previous Thin Lizzy members were welcome to play with Thin Lizzy at any time.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410173028/http://www.johnsykes.com/AtomicInterview.htm |title=Interview with John Sykes c.2004|archive-date=10 April 2008|url=http://www.johnsykes.com/AtomicInterview.htm|work=Komodo Rock, hosted at johnsykes.com|access-date=18 April 2011}}</ref>

In 2004, Thin Lizzy worked together again, with Sykes and Gorham bringing in ex-[[Angel (American band)|Angel]] bassist [[Randy Gregg (musician)|Randy Gregg]], and drummer [[Michael Lee (musician)|Michael Lee]], who had played with [[Robert Plant]] and [[The Cult]] among others. They toured in North America in both the winter and then the summer as special guests of Deep Purple. This line-up proved temporary however, with Mendoza returning in 2005, and Aldridge returning in 2007. There were no plans for a new album though Thin Lizzy continued to tour. At the London [[Hammersmith Apollo]] concert of 13 December 2007, the line-up was Sykes, Gorham, Aldridge and [[Francesco DiCosmo]] on bass.<ref name="Thin Lizzy official website">{{cite web |url=http://www.thinlizzyonline.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212235401/http://www.thinlizzyonline.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 December 2007 |title=Thin Lizzy official website |publisher=Thinlizzyonline.com |access-date=3 April 2011  }}</ref>

Sykes stated that Thin Lizzy was now "more of a tribute thing"<ref name="sykes99" /> and that it would be wrong to record new material under that name. He added that while the existing band members might record together, it would not be as Thin Lizzy.<ref name="sykes99" /> In 2007, Gorham said that Lynott still received the biggest cheer of the night at concerts, and that the current Thin Lizzy was not active simply for money.<ref name="gorham">{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpool.com/features/interview-with-thin-lizzy-s-scott-gorham.html |title=Interview with Scott Gorham, December 2007 |publisher=Liverpool F.C. |access-date=3 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119164809/http://www.liverpool.com/features/interview-with-thin-lizzy-s-scott-gorham.html |archive-date=19 January 2012 }}</ref> "We'd stop if we thought we were just going through the motions... I think that has a lot to do with the songs – if they were inferior, then maybe we would have got tired of it all. But they're not and we haven't," he said.<ref name="gorham" /> In January 2011, Gorham maintained that Lynott would have approved of the continuation of the band: "He worked long hours and travelled thousands of miles to get it to a certain level. There's no way he would have said 'No-one should play those songs again.'"<ref>{{cite web |title=The show must go on: when bands replace their dead stars |date=27 January 2011 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jan/27/bands-replacing-dead-rock-stars |access-date=11 December 2011}}</ref>

Thin Lizzy, along with support band [[The Answer (band)|The Answer]], were to support [[AC/DC]] at stadium shows in England, Ireland and Scotland at the end of June 2009, but these appearances were cancelled after drummer Aldridge broke his collarbone in an accident. On 30 June, the band's website confirmed that Sykes had left Thin Lizzy and all shows for the rest of 2009 were cancelled or postponed. Gorham stated that he would announce Thin Lizzy's future plans shortly. In a statement, he said, "It's been a very tough time of late for myself and the band, firstly with drummer Tommy Aldridge's injury and now the subsequent decision for John and the rest of the group to go their separate ways. I can only apologise to everyone who has supported us over the years, but we will be back up to full speed soon."<ref name="Thin Lizzy official website"/> Sykes died from cancer in January 2025 at the age of 65.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/legendary-guitarist-john-sykes-dead-at-65|title=Legendary Guitarist JOHN SYKES Dead At 65|publisher=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|access-date=20 January 2025|date=20 January 2025}}</ref>