Biography All Music GuideWikipedia
All Music Guide:
Although he's played on, penned songs for, and/or produced other artists' recordings, singer/guitarist John Oates is best known as one half of one of rock's most successful duos of all time, Hall & Oates. Born on April 7, 1949 in New York City, Oates attended Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the '60s, where he met fellow student Daryl Hall. The duo quickly realized that they shared the same love of rock & roll and Philly soul, and teamed up in various doo wop groups. After the two were briefly members of the group Gulliver, Hall & Oates decided to make a go of it on their own, and signed a record deal with Atlantic in 1972. It took them several years to carve their niche, but by the mid-'70s, they had scored major hits with "Sara Smile" and "Rich Girl." But it was the early '80s that would become the pair's most successful period, as they racked up numerous hits (including "Kiss on My List," "Private Eyes," "Maneater," and "Say It Isn't So," to name but a few), and unquestionably became one of the U.S.' top pop/rock groups. As a result, Oates became a sought-after producer by other artists, as he worked with Eddie Kendricks, David Ruffin, the Parachute Club, and Chris Sheppard, and guested on recordings by Taj Mahal, Tina B, and Icehouse, among others. Numerous artists have also recorded songs that either Oates penned on his own (or covers of Hall & Oates tunes) over the years, including After 7, Denny Doherty, and Brian McKnight. 2002 saw the release of Oates' very first solo album, Phunk Shui (pronounced "Funk Schway").
Phunk Shui saw several different incarnations over the next few years and Oates supported the album in other ways, including regular gigging, some of which was captured on subsequent live releases. He released his second solo album, the reflective 1000 Miles of Life, in 2008 and then took an unexpected turn into blues on 2011's Mississippi Mile; the 2012 live set The Bluesville Sessions was recorded on that album's supporting tour.
Wikipedia:
John William Oates (born April 7, 1949) is an American rock, R&B and soul guitarist, musician, songwriter and producer best known as half of the rock and soul duo Hall & Oates (with Daryl Hall).
Oates, whose main role in the duo was as guitarist, co-wrote much of their output, including "Sara Smile" (with Daryl Hall - a song that refers to Hall's then-girlfriend, Sara Allen), "You Make My Dreams" (with Allen & Hall), "She's Gone" (with Hall), "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" (with Allen & Hall), "Maneater" (with Allen & Hall), "Out of Touch" (with Hall), and "Adult Education" (with Hall & Allen). He also sang lead vocals on several singles that did not make it to the Top 10, such as "How Does It Feel to Be Back", "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" (which was a remake of the 1965 song performed by The Righteous Brothers and written by Phil Spector, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, on which he shared lead vocals with Hall) and "Possession Obsession" (written with Allen & Hall). In addition to his work with Hall, Oates co-wrote and sang back-up on the song "Electric Blue" by the band Icehouse which was a Billboard Top Ten hit.
Oates was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004.
Life and career [edit]
Oates was born in New York City. His mother, Ann De Palma, was an Italian immigrant originally from Salerno. His father, Al Oates, was of British and Spanish-Moorish heritage. He was raised in Philadelphia's suburb of North Wales, Pennsylvania. He was married to Aimee Oates, and his son Tanner was born in 1996.
In 1966, he recorded his first single, "I Need Your Love," with The Masters for Philadelphia-based Crimson Records. After finishing high school in 1967, John attended Temple University in Philadelphia. It was there that he met Daryl Hall, also a musician and student at Temple, who was already a senior when Oates was a freshman. The two were involved in several college bands, but after forming the duo Hall & Oates, they were signed by Atlantic Records in 1972. Hall & Oates went on to record 21 albums (to date), which have sold over 80 million units worldwide, making them arguably the most successful duo in pop–rock history. They have scored ten number-one records and over 20 top-40 hits and have toured the world for decades. Their involvement in the original Live Aid concert and the ground-breaking We Are The World charity recording established them further as artists. Their influence on modern pop music has been cited by numerous contemporary bands, including Gym Class Heroes and The Killers, who have credited and acknowledged H&O's considerable contribution to American music.
In 1983, Oates was asked whether he regretted not pursuing his degree in journalism. He replied no and admitted never intending to finish it.
Despite 30 years as a chart-topping performer and sought-after producer, Oates did not release a solo album until 2002's Phunk Shui.
Oates took part, along with Jamie Cullum, in the song "Greatest Mistake" by Handsome Boy Modeling School. The song appears on the 2004 album White People.
Oates's second solo album, 1000 Miles of Life, was released on August 23, 2008.
As reported by Billboard, Oates will be starring in an animated series called J.Stache created by Evan Duby at Primary Wave Music Publishing.
In March 2010, Oates played with indie rock band The Bird and the Bee as a surprise guest. The show was a medley of The Bird and the Bee songs, as well as classic Hall & Oates. The performance was dedicated to H&O bassist T-Bone Wolk who died on February 27, 2010.
Oates now lives with his son and wife in Aspen, Colorado.
On October 1, 2011, Margo Rey charted at #24 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks with the song "Let the Rain", which is co-written by John Oates.
On March 11, 2013 John released a new single "Stand Strong" co-written with Teddy Morgan. "Stand Strong" is part of John's newest project "Good Road To Follow", which is a collection of original songs that will be released once a month in a series of digital singles.
