Though he is probably known for his contributions to one of the best selling pop duos of all time, John Oates is an accomplished solo performer in his own right. Born in New York and raised in a suburb of Philadelphia, Oates recorded his first single, "I Need Your Love," in 1966 and although the song didn't establish the young musician as a prominent musician, it instilled within him a sense of studio fortitude and adept production sensibilities. After graduating high school in 1967, Oates moved into Philadelphia to attend school at Temple University, where he met another aspiring musician named Daryl Hall. They were in a number of different bands throughout their collegiate career, but managed to find the most success as a duo and even secured a record contract with Atlantic Records in 1972. The group achieved monumental success in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, with a radio-friendly sound that managed to resound well with American audiences that were looking for feel-good music with catchy choruses and memorable vocals. Though many expected a solo album from Oates for quite sometime, it wasn't until 2001, when he released Phunk Shui.
