John Oates
Birthday:
7 April 1948, New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name:
John William Oates
Height:
165 cm
John Oates was born on April 7, 1948 in New York City, New York, USA as John William Oates. He has been married to Aimee Pommier since November 27, 1994. They have one child. He was previously married to Nancy Hunter.
[In 1982]: We both had records out at the time - singles in Philadelphia, and they were local labels, small labels, and we were plugging in ...Show more »
[In 1982]: We both had records out at the time - singles in Philadelphia, and they were local labels, small labels, and we were plugging in a record, we're at Record Hop about to go on and lip-sync. There was a number of groups there, and it was basically an excuse for the local gangs in the area that we're dressed up like fraternities to get together and fight broke out some shots, and some things like that, and we made it out the back, we went down the elevator and we're both going to the same school, and became friends. I joined his band, and the rest was history. Show less «
[on 1,000 Miles of Life]: It was a wake-up call for me. After 30-plus years devoting myself to my art and craft, I needed to make a musical ...Show more »
[on 1,000 Miles of Life]: It was a wake-up call for me. After 30-plus years devoting myself to my art and craft, I needed to make a musical statement that someday I could look back on and realize, at that moment of time, I did exactly what I wanted to do. I've never written songs like this. I was on this inspirational roll. There was an urgency to it. I realized that I had no more time in my life for rehearsals... and I took that energy into the studio. Show less «
[When he was a guest on one of Daryl Hall's shows, that was recorded live at Daryl's House]: It was a favorite of Daryl and mine. We saw The...Show more »
[When he was a guest on one of Daryl Hall's shows, that was recorded live at Daryl's House]: It was a favorite of Daryl and mine. We saw The Mad Lads perform the song at the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia. I remember it because they wore yellow suits with white gloves. When Daryl and I met, and began to learn a little bit about each other, we discovered we both loved it. We've never played it live before. This will be a first. Show less «
[As to how he best described songwriting in that way]: Songwriters by nature are an interesting, engaging and quirky group of creative peopl...Show more »
[As to how he best described songwriting in that way]: Songwriters by nature are an interesting, engaging and quirky group of creative people... they absorb, refract and reflect the world, then filter it though their own emotional experiences and articulate it in the form of a song. Show less «
[on his own knack of writing songs]: I realized that although people were very familiar with many of the songs that I have written over the ...Show more »
[on his own knack of writing songs]: I realized that although people were very familiar with many of the songs that I have written over the years... they had no idea about who or what was the inspiration behind them. In addition, people always seem fascinated and curious about the songwriter's creative process. Show less «
[on the past songs Daryl Hall used to write, when listening to them]: When I listen to it, it sounds almost like I'm listening to someone el...Show more »
[on the past songs Daryl Hall used to write, when listening to them]: When I listen to it, it sounds almost like I'm listening to someone else. I have to say, I was pretty impressed. I know it sounds weird to say, but when you think of how we started and what our aspirations were and what our goals were and where it went, and how far it's come, what can I say other than I'm happy and thrilled and satisfied and on a lot of levels, very proud. Show less «
[When he needed to shave his mustache]: A shedding of my skin. I didn't want to be that guy that I was for the 20 years prior to that. I had...Show more »
[When he needed to shave his mustache]: A shedding of my skin. I didn't want to be that guy that I was for the 20 years prior to that. I had a lot of personal challenges and personal changes... and that mustache represented that old guy I was leaving behind. Show less «
[on the quality of the band]: A lot of people kind of put us down, a little bit, as we're these hit makers, but we didn't have any substance...Show more »
[on the quality of the band]: A lot of people kind of put us down, a little bit, as we're these hit makers, but we didn't have any substance or whatever. But the reality of it is, those are the songs that have endured. Show less «
[on his mustache]: My mustache has become some sort of "Weird Iconic Symbol of the Era", and I'm glad I don't have it anymore.
[on his mustache]: My mustache has become some sort of "Weird Iconic Symbol of the Era", and I'm glad I don't have it anymore.
[on working on a song with Daryl Hall]: We picked the songs; we looked at the various possibilities. It was very difficult to go down from 4...Show more »
[on working on a song with Daryl Hall]: We picked the songs; we looked at the various possibilities. It was very difficult to go down from 400 or 500 songs to 75 or whatever it is. I think the casual fan who just knows us from the singles and the hits, they're going to be very surprised, because there are some really adventurous and unique recordings. And the hard-core fans will embrace it. Show less «
[Who shaved his signature mustache beginning in 1990]: Without getting too deep, I was going through a lot of changes then. Daryl [Hall] and...Show more »
[Who shaved his signature mustache beginning in 1990]: Without getting too deep, I was going through a lot of changes then. Daryl [Hall] and I had stopped touring, we lost our manager, our whole business structure was falling apart. I was getting divorced. I felt like I needed to shed my skin and start over. The mustache kind of represented the old me, which I didn't want to be anymore. I know it sounds crazy, but maybe it's not. Show less «
[In 2009]: The younger artists are referencing us and appreciating us and sharing that appreciation with their fans. It's really cool. And I...Show more »
[In 2009]: The younger artists are referencing us and appreciating us and sharing that appreciation with their fans. It's really cool. And I think that's a really positive thing for music. Show less «
I like the control of racing, and testing myself.
I like the control of racing, and testing myself.
[on Nancy Hunter, who was his wife at the time]: My personal life is hotels, touring and then being home. My wife understands it. She's been...Show more »
[on Nancy Hunter, who was his wife at the time]: My personal life is hotels, touring and then being home. My wife understands it. She's been around it for six years, and she knows she didn't marry a bookkeeper. She has a life of her own; you have to. Show less «
[on his longtime relationship with Daryl Hall]: We're more like brothers than friends. Brothers don't walk around arm in arm all the time. T...Show more »
[on his longtime relationship with Daryl Hall]: We're more like brothers than friends. Brothers don't walk around arm in arm all the time. There's always a little tension that keeps things alive. Besides, we never set out to be the Everly Brothers or some two-headed musical monster. Show less «
[on his relationship with Nancy Hunter]: I thought she was a Swedish girl and she thought I was an Italian midget.
[on his relationship with Nancy Hunter]: I thought she was a Swedish girl and she thought I was an Italian midget.
It was a special moment in time that can't be replicated. All of the sudden these new urban artists such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez were rei...Show more »
It was a special moment in time that can't be replicated. All of the sudden these new urban artists such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez were reintroducing traditional and blues music, the backbone of all music, to a new generation of people. Show less «
I got one more left in me... make it a gin tonic.
I got one more left in me... make it a gin tonic.
[In 1981]: The openness of the relationship with preserving it. It's incredible, how we write about the same feelings, ideas and directions.
[In 1981]: The openness of the relationship with preserving it. It's incredible, how we write about the same feelings, ideas and directions.
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