JOHN OATES: New solo album out today
John Oates, best-known as half of Hall and Oates, shares a lifelong passion with fans on his new solo album, Arkansas. John Oates defines his album Arkansas:
"I think it really kinda defines my true musical personality. It's taken me a long time to kinda come to this place. It's really about roots and Americana music. A tribute, in a way, to a lot of early American popular music."
John says these songs have been a part of his life since childhood -- and long before the time he joined forces with Daryl Hall. Eight of the songs on Arkansasare roots classics; John added a newly written pair, including the title cut. He sings and plays acoustic guitar.
John Oates on the musical styles you'll hear in his album Arkansas:
"Delta blues, mixed with a little bit of ragtime, and bluegrass and salted with Americana. I don't know. I'm making it up as I go along. But... it's a roots music record that really takes me back to the earliest days of my musical influences -- the stuff I was playing way before I met Daryl Hall and the stuff that in my heart of hearts, I've always loved more than anything else."
Along with the Friday release of Arkansas, Oates has 15 shows through mid-March where he'll showcase his other musical side. The tour begins Saturday night at the Family Gras [pr: grah] in suburban New Orleans.
John Oates kicks off his tour Saturday at the Family Gras in Metairie, Louisiana:
"Hey listen, it's New Orleans around Mardi Gras, so I don't know 'family,' it will be. We'll find out. This is my solo show and I've got the original band that played on the album: Sam Bush, Russ Paul, Guthrie Trapp, Josh Day and Steve Mackey."
KENNY LOGGINS: Being honored for his movie songs
Kenny Loggins is being honored for his prolific work in soundtracks.
The voice of "Danger Zone" (from Top Gun), the Footloose theme, "I'm All Right" (Caddyshack) and "Your Heart Will Lead You Home" (The Tigger Movie) will receive the first Icon Award from the Guild of Music Supervisors February 8th in L.A.
A spokesman for the organization notes, "Caddyshack, Footloose, Top Gun -- it was the Kenny Loggins songs that sealed the deal on those movies becoming part of our collective experience of the 1980s. You remember the first time you saw those films and how you felt when the credits rolled."