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John Oates tells PEOPLE that his dream gig at the Philadelphia Folk Festival came directly before the death of his father, Alfred, at 101 years old
“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,” Oates explains
Despite the loss, the musician notes that the feeling of being able to spend his father’s final moments with him was “as good as it gets”
John Oates is looking back at a particularly difficult time in his personal life that came directly after a moment of career fulfillment.
The legendary Hall & Oates member, 77, tells PEOPLE that his father Alfred’s death at 101 years old in 2024 followed him finally nabbing a slot at his dream gig: the Philadelphia Folk Festival.
“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,” Oates says. “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.”
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John Oates in New York City in June 2025
However, his father was unfortunately unable to see the gig come to fruition as he was under the care of an assisted living facility at the time.
“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 [facility] 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.”
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Though the circumstances were tragically timed, Oates says the feeling of being able to spend his father’s final moments with him was “as good as it gets.”
“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 added.
At the time of his father’s death, the musician confirmed the news on Instagram on Aug. 20, 2024, writing, “We received the sad news that my father Alfred Oates passed away. He lived a long and wonderful life and he was loved by so many around the world. I was so glad I got to see him one last time just a day ago.”
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The death of his father and the circumstances of life as a whole have made Oates acutely aware of his own mortality. “I feel like my creative and physical clock is ticking,” he shares. “And it is, it’s a reality. I just saw a thing this morning on TV about Billy Joel. They’re doing a documentary on him, but he’s also suffering from some sort of brain issue. I see my contemporaries falling by the wayside, some younger and many older than me. So it’s a reality that you can’t stop Father Time.”
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Daryl Hall and John Oates in 1970
The “Rich Girl” creator adds, “I’m still very physically fit. I’ve spent a lot of time on my fitness and my health. I’m a big health fanatic. I ride mountain bikes, I ride road bikes, I hike, I do yoga. I stretch all the time. So I feel like I’m lucky that I won the lottery when it comes to health.”
Referencing his father’s lengthy life, Oates further jokes, “I’m thinking, ‘Damn, I better save my money.’ “
“But in all seriousness, I put a lot of stock in the fact that I’m still healthy enough and mentally fit to do what I want to do,” he continues.
Oates’ new self-titled solo album, Oates, is available on all major streaming platforms now.
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