A biography for John Oateshasn’t been written yet.
“I think it's kind of difficult to write a good Christmas song because you have a narrow framework of references that you have to work within, and at the same time you want to do something that's personally original and hopefully somewhat unique.”
“Young people go to concerts.”
“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.”
“The first record I bought myself could have been 'Oh Lonesome Me' by Don Gibson or 'Wake Up Little Susie' by the Everly Brothers.”
“I may just keep releasing singles 'til I run out of music, which is kind of cool in a way - as long as people don't go, 'Oh my God, not another one!'”
“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.”
“With his passing, Dick Clark deserves to take his place at the top in the pantheon of popular culture icons.”
“I have a great family, I live an amazing life.”
“There's all sorts of soul. There's Irish soul and Native American soul. If it touches you and moves you, it's soul.”
“If something that needs to be done that we don't feel confronting, we do it through the manager.”
“We should have an easier name to pronounce.”
“I love what Alabama Shakes is doing - it's kind of like what grunge did to rock 'n' roll, they're doing to R&B.”
“The mustache represented the old John; I didn't want to be that guy anymore, so I shaved it off. It was ritualistic in a way.”
“Dick Clark's 'American Bandstand' spread the gospel of American pop music and teenage style that transcended the regional boundaries of our country and united a youth culture that eventually spread its message throughout the entire world.”
“In the days when regional music was very clearly defined and had a clear personality - Memphis, Detroit, Chicago, whatever - Philadelphia had a tradition that was very distinct and unique.”
“You have to know when to strike and when to retreat.”
“It's the music that brings us together.”
“If I had to drop everything and just be a songwriter, I would be OK with that because that's the real joy.”
“I was singing when I was two years old, and my parents were very supportive, but they weren't musicians themselves.”
“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.”