John Oates facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Oates
Oates performing in May 2024
Background information
Birth name	John William Oates
Born	(1948-04-07) April 7, 1948 (age 77) New York City, New York, U.S.
Origin	North Wales, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Blue-eyed soul pop rock R&B soul Philly soul soft rock
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter record producer
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1966–present
Labels	Atlantic RCA Epic Arista U-Watch Thirty Tigers
Associated acts	Carly Simon Daryl Hall & John Oates

John William Oates (born April 7, 1948) is an American musician. He is best known as one half of the famous music duo Hall & Oates, where he performed with Daryl Hall. John Oates has played many types of music, including rock, R&B, and soul. He is a talented guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer.

Even though John Oates was mainly the guitarist for Hall & Oates, he also helped write many of their biggest hit songs. These include "Sara Smile", "She's Gone", and "Out of Touch". He also co-wrote popular songs like "You Make My Dreams", "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)", and "Maneater". Oates also sang lead vocals on some songs that made it onto the Hot 100 chart. These include "How Does It Feel to Be Back" and "Possession Obsession". He also sang on their cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", which was originally a hit for the Righteous Brothers.

In 1986, John Oates contributed a song called "(She's the) Shape of Things to Come" to the movie soundtrack for About Last Night. He also helped write and sang backup on "Electric Blue". This song was recorded by the Australian band Icehouse and became a top 10 hit on Billboard.

John Oates has received many honors for his music. He was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004. Later, in 2014, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Hall & Oates. He also wrote a book about his life, called Change of Seasons, which was published in 2017.

Early Life and Education

John Oates was born in New York City on April 7, 1948. His mother was Italian, and his father was from Gibraltar. His father had a mixed background, including Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Moorish roots. John grew up in North Wales, Pennsylvania.

He went to North Penn High School in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. There, he was a co-captain of the wrestling team in his senior year. He even won a championship in his weight class. Oates chose to go to Temple University in Philadelphia instead of accepting college wrestling scholarships. He wrestled for Temple as a freshman but later decided to focus on music.

Music Career and Achievements

In 1966, John Oates recorded his first song, "I Need Your Love," with a group called The Masters. After high school, he started at Temple University. There, he met Daryl Hall, who was also a musician. They played in several college bands together. Eventually, they formed the duo Hall & Oates. By 1972, they had signed with Atlantic Records.

Hall & Oates became one of the most successful duos in pop-rock history. They have released 21 albums and sold over 80 million records worldwide. They had ten number-one songs and more than 20 songs that reached the Top 40. They have also toured around the world for many years. In 1985, they were part of the original Live Aid concert and the charity song "We Are the World". These events helped them become even more famous. Many modern bands, like Gym Class Heroes and the Killers, have said that Hall & Oates influenced their music.

Oates performing in Tampa, Florida, 1982

Even after many years of success with Hall & Oates, John Oates did not release a solo album until 2002. This album was called Phunk Shui. In 2004, he worked with Jamie Cullum on the song "Greatest Mistake" for the album White People. His second solo album, 1000 Miles of Life, came out in 2008.

Oates in 2009

In 2011, John Oates co-wrote the song "Let the Rain" with Margo Rey. This song reached number 24 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. In 2013, Oates released a new song called "Stand Strong." This song was part of a project called Good Road to Follow, where he released new songs as digital singles. In 2015, he released Another Good Road, which included a DVD and CD. This project also became a TV special on the Palladia music channel. The DVD showed him performing live in a recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. It also included rare footage of his home in Woody Creek, Colorado.

His book, Change of Seasons, was published in March 2017. In February 2018, he released an album called Arkansas with his new band, The Good Road Band. Oates said this album connected him to his earlier interest in traditional delta, country blues, and ragtime music, from before Hall & Oates.

John Oates uses many different instruments and effects in his music. He supports several music equipment companies, including Taylor Guitars and Voyage Air Guitars.

In November 2023, there was a disagreement between Daryl Hall and John Oates. Hall filed a legal action against Oates. Hall stated that Oates was planning to sell his share of the duo's music rights. Oates responded that Hall's statements were "inflammatory, outlandish, and inaccurate."

Also in 2023, John Oates appeared on season ten of The Masked Singer. He performed as "Anteater" and was eliminated during the Group C finals.

Personal Life

John Oates was previously married to Nancy Hunter. He and his second wife, Aimee, have a son named Tanner, who was born in 1996. They live in both Woody Creek, Colorado, and Nashville, Tennessee.

Discography

Hall & Oates

Studio Albums

Live Albums

Singles

Songs with Oates on Lead Vocals

John Oates sang lead vocals on many Hall & Oates songs, sometimes sharing lead with Daryl Hall. Here are some of them:

• "All Our Love" (co-lead vocal) from Whole Oats
• "Southeast City Window" from Whole Oats
• "Thank You For ..." from Whole Oats
• "Lilly (Are You Happy)" (co-lead vocal) from Whole Oats
• "Had I Known You Better Then" from Abandoned Luncheonette
• "Las Vegas Turnaround (The Stewardess Song)" from Abandoned Luncheonette
• "She's Gone" (co-lead vocal) from Abandoned Luncheonette
• "I'm Just A Kid (Don't Make Me Feel Like A Man)" from Abandoned Luncheonette
• "Lady Rain" (co-lead vocal) from Abandoned Luncheonette
• "Can't Stop The Music (He Played It Much Too Long)" from War Babies
• "Is it a Star" (co-lead vocal) from War Babies
• "Johnny Gore and the "C" Eaters" (co-lead vocal) from War Babies
• "Past Times Behind" from The Atlantic Collection compilation
• "Camellia" from Daryl Hall & John Oates
• "Alone Too Long" from Daryl Hall & John Oates
• "Soldering" from Daryl Hall & John Oates
• "Ice" from Daryl Hall & John Oates
• "Back Together Again" from Bigger Than Both of Us
• "Crazy Eyes" from Bigger Than Both of Us
• "You'll Never Learn" from Bigger Than Both of Us
• "The Emptyness" from Beauty on a Back Street
• "Love Hurts (Love Heals)" from Beauty on a Back Street
• "The Girl Who Used to Be" from Beauty on a Back Street
• "Melody for a Memory" from Along the Red Ledge
• "Serious Music" from Along the Red Ledge
• "Pleasure Beach" from Along the Red Ledge
• "Portable Radio" (co-lead vocal) from X-Static
• "All You Want Is Heaven" (co-lead vocal) from X-Static
• "Bebop/Drop" from X-Static
• "How Does It Feel To Be Back" from Voices
• "Hard To Be In Love With You" (co-lead vocal) from Voices
• "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (co-lead vocal) from Voices
• "Africa" from Voices
• "Mano A Mano" from Private Eyes
• "Friday Let Me Down" from Private Eyes
• "Italian Girls" from H2O
• "At Tension" from H2O
• "Jingle Bell Rock" from 1983 Christmas single
• "Possession Obsession" from Big Bam Boom
• "Cold Dark And Yesterday" from Big Bam Boom
• "Rockability" (co-lead vocal) from Ooh Yeah!
• "Keep on Pushin' Love" from Ooh Yeah!
• "Change of Season" (co-lead vocal) from Change of Season
• "Only Love" from Change of Season
• "Starting All Over Again"(co-lead vocal) from Change of Season
• "Time Won't Pass Me By" (co-lead vocal) from Marigold Sky
• "War of Words" from Marigold Sky
• "Someday We'll Know" (co-lead vocal) from Do It for Love
• "Love in a Dangerous Time" from Do It for Love
• "Ooh Child" from Our Kind of Soul
• "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" from Our Kind of Soul
• "No Child Should Ever Cry on Christmas" from Home for Christmas
• "The Christmas Song" from Home for Christmas
• "Don't Go Out" from Do What You Want, Be What You Are box set
• "All the Way from Philadelphia" (co-lead vocal) from Do What You Want, Be What You Are box set
• "I Want Someone" (co-lead vocal) from Do What You Want, Be What You Are box set

Guest Singles

Other Appearances

Solo Music

Studio Albums

Live Albums

Other Solo Appearances

Non-Album Singles

Film and Television Appearances

John Oates has also appeared in various TV shows, often playing himself.

See also

In Spanish: John Oates para niños