John Oates, one half of iconic rock duo Hall & Oates, is reflecting on the death of his father, Alfred Oates, who died in 2024.
“My dad, he was the inspiration for the song ‘Reunion.’ He said he was going to be reuniting with mom who had passed away before,” John told People magazine in an interview published on Aug. 29. “I had been booked last year to play the Philadelphia Folk Festival, which was a big deal for me because I had gone there as a kid. And I never played it. I always wanted to play the Philly Folk Festival.”
“So we had the headlining slot on a Saturday night. It was fantastic. We had an amazing show. And my dad was staying at an assisted living about 10 miles away. We couldn’t come to the show, but so my wife and son and I, we decided we would go visit him the following day. So I did the show on Saturday night, went to visit him on Sunday and we had a great visit. He was pretty coherent. He was okay. And we sat for a few hours and it was great. And on Monday morning, he never woke up,” John recalled.
Looking back on his dad’s death, John feels fortunate to have spent his dad’s final moments with him.
“I mean, we got to see him. And then I think he was hanging on, and I think he probably just said, That’s it. Enough is enough,'” he shared.
Alfred was 101-years-old when he died a year ago. Since then, John has been focused on his career — and his solo album titled Oates, which was released on Aug. 29 — He and Daryl Hall went their separate ways in 2023 following a legal dispute, per Variety.
Melodic Magazine described John’s new album as having a “groove-oriented R&B and pop sounds that so many find synonymous with his work from the 1970s and 1980s, while seamlessly integrating more modern elements.”
John has been busy promoting his new solo album on social media and, in a post uploaded earlier today, John said he’s “really proud” of his new record.
“I’m so excited to finally share this album with you all. So thankful to everyone who made this album possible, and all of you for your support! Give it a listen, and be sure to let me know your favorites,” he captioned a video.
The post has already received thousands of likes and comments from fans expressing support and love for the iconic musician.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Celebs section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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