"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 Oates
Musician
John Oates is a renowned musician and songwriter, best known as one half of the duo Hall & Oates, celebrated for their unique blend of rock and soul.
- Born
- April 7, 1948
- Quotes
- 26
- Rank
- #1283
About John Oates
John Oates — Life and Legacy
John Oates, a pivotal figure in American music, gained fame as one half of the iconic duo Hall & Oates. Their distinctive sound, which fuses rock with soul, has left an indelible mark on the music landscape. Oates's songwriting often explores themes of love and creativity, reflecting his deep emotional connection to his craft. He famously stated, 'Love is a powerful thing,' which encapsulates his belief in the transformative power of love in both life and art. This perspective is evident in songs like 'Sara Smile,' where he captures the nuances of romantic relationships with heartfelt sincerity. Oates's approach to music challenges conventional boundaries, emphasizing collaboration and emotional authenticity. His quotes reveal a mindset that values creativity as a means of self-expression and connection. Today, his insights continue to resonate, inspiring new generations of artists and music lovers alike.
Quote collection
John Oates quotes (page 1 of 2)
26 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"A good mustache makes a man for many reasons."
"My mustache has become this weird iconic representation of a certain era."
"You don't want to pitch a tent and live inside the Louvre. You want to check it out, appreciate it, and move somewhere else."
"Swimming upstream in the music business is a hard thing to do."
"I'd like to do something with the Avett Brothers."
"I have a great family, I live an amazing life."
"I couldn't wait to grow a mustache. I stopped shaving my upper lip the day I graduated from high school."
"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."
"Sometimes, it's just great to bring new people into the mix."
"There's a lot of craft in songwriting. The divine inspiration is when the idea comes. It may be a riff. It may be a word. It may be a phrase. It may be a title. Sometimes, in the best of both worlds, that divine inspiration extends through the whole song. I've literally sat down and written a song from beginning to end, almost complete lyrics and everything without ever stopping...in two minutes. The chorus of 'She's Gone' was like that."
"The first record I bought myself could have been 'Oh Lonesome Me' by Don Gibson or 'Wake Up Little Susie' by the Everly Brothers."
"You have to know when to strike and when to retreat."
"My guitar playing is a synthesis of traditional American acoustic style and Urban Pop and RB."
"Jam Cruise is actually a comfortable place for me. My jamming skills and my improvisational skills have improved immensely as I've gone more solo, because I've had this opportunity."
"I didn't come to Nashville to put on a cowboy hat and pretend to be a country singer. My attraction to Nashville as Music City is the variety and flexibility: the fact that there's so many musicians at your disposal, so many amazing studios and talented people that you can draw from. ... I try to be myself, but at the same time I'm learning a lot, and I'm pulling from not only from the well of inspiration that I'm getting from Nashville, but I'm pulling from my roots."
"The bricks and mortar of the music business, they don't exist any longer."
"You may be embarrassed about the way you looked and the wacky clothes you wore when you were young, but normally, at least it's hidden in a box in the attic."
"I like playing on stage, don't get me wrong."
"We collaborate together. We work with other people. We work by ourselves."