it’s not that important. In fact,
people come up to me after the
show and say, ‘Man, you didn’t
even need to play Hall & Oates;
we loved what you were doing.’
What I do now is a different
experience and the hardcore fans
know it’s not half of the Hall &
Oates show.”
Serendipitously, John Oates
played the same guitar on the first
two Hall & Oates albums (Whole
Oats, Abandoned Luncheonette)
that was played by Mississippi
John Hurt at Newport Folk Festival
in 1964. When Hurt died, the
guitar was given to Jerry Ricks
who was Oates’ guitar teacher and
mentor. Years later, Oates now
owns the guitar.
“I found it in a collection in
Colorado where it was sitting in a
basement for thirty years,” recalled
Oates. “I managed to be able
to buy it. Now I have it, which is
pretty friggin’ amazing!”
That’s just one of many
connections Oates has to the
music on Arkansas. In addition
to seeing Mississippi John Hurt
Watch a video for “Close” by John Oates
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 54
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