Dave Mason
British recording artist; singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester
John Oates is an American musician best known as one half of the classic rock and soul duo Hall & Oates. He is a talented guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer, and has co-written many of the duo’s biggest hits, including ‘Sara Smile’ and ‘Maneater’. Oates has also had a successful solo career and been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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About the John Oates
John William Oatesis an American musician, best known as half of the rock and soul duo Hall & Oates along with Daryl Hall. He has played rock, R&B, and soul music, serving as a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer.
Although Oates’s main role in the duo is being the guitarist, he also co-wrote many of the top 10 songs that they recorded, including: “Sara Smile”Shape of Things to Come” on the soundtrack to the 1986 film About Last Night. He also co-wrote and sang backup on the song “Electric Blue”, recorded by the Australian band Icehouse, which was a Billboard top 10 hit.
Oates was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004, and in 2014 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of Hall & Oates. His memoir, Change of Seasons, was published in 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
John Oates is the guitarist in the Hall & Oates duo, and he has also co-written many of their top 10 hit songs.
John Oates co-wrote several of Hall & Oates’ biggest hits, including ,Sara Smile,, ,She’s Gone,, ,Out of Touch,, ,You Make My Dreams,, and ,Maneater,.
John Oates has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has also contributed songs to film soundtracks and collaborated with other artists like the Australian band Icehouse.
John Oates was born on April 7, 1948.
John Oates has played rock, R&B, and soul music throughout his career, serving as a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer.
John Oates’ memoir is titled ,Change of Seasons, and was published in 2017.
Yes, John Oates sang lead vocals on several of Hall & Oates’ singles that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, including ,How Does It Feel to Be Back, and ,Possession Obsession,.
25 Quotes by John Oates
- 1.
If it wasn’t for music, I doubt whether we’d be friends.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 2.
I think people were just starving for good material because they just weren’t getting it on the radio.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 3.
You have to know when to strike and when to retreat.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 4.
I couldn’t begin to name names… in general I have found racers to be some of the most competitive people on the planet… and some of the nicest as well.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 5.
If Daryl stopped touring it would be a big part of him missing.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 6.
Sometimes, it’s just great to bring new people into the mix.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 7.
The thing is, we’ve changed our style but we’ve never changed the actual roots of what we’ve done.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 8.
I just like playing with the band and doing what I do.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 9.
We’ve been together since we’ve been teenagers. I can go away and disappear for two years, and when we get back together, it’s like nothing ever has changed.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 10.
I wish I could see over crowds and small groups of people.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 11.
If I stopped touring tomorrow, it wouldn’t change my life.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 12.
In our relationship, we don’t have that situation. I don’t require what he needs, and he doesn’t require what I need. I know what I do; I have an amazing life that nobody knows about.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 13.
Well, because we’re so different as people. And it’s that difference that probably also makes it easy to stay together, because we don’t get in each others way.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 14.
It’s the music that brings us together.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 15.
To me, when a great band is playing together, it’s amazing for me.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 16.
Swimming upstream in the music business is a hard thing to do.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 17.
We should have an easier name to pronounce.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 18.
We collaborate together. We work with other people. We work by ourselves.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 19.
If you look over the years, the styles have changed – the clothes, the hair, the production, the approach to the songs. The icing to the cake has changed flavors. But if you really look at the cake itself, it’s really the same.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 20.
I like playing on stage, don’t get me wrong.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 21.
I do a lot of things behind the scenes. I do a lot of things that don’t hit the headlines.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 22.
I was just glad to meet somebody outside of my group of small town friends who was into music. Somebody else who had aspirations to do something more than sing at a record hop.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 23.
If something that needs to be done that we don’t feel confronting, we do it through the manager.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 24.
Well, before we met I had heard and seen him sing so I knew he was good.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates
- 25.
I have a great family, I live an amazing life.
John OatesAmerican musician and member of Hall & Oates