&34;I needed to really get a lot of the creative feelings, emotions, and thoughts out there on my own — to make a statement on my own as I get to this point in

"I needed to really get a lot of the creative feelings, emotions, and thoughts out there on my own — to make a statement on my own as I get to this point in my life," Oates tells EW.

John Oates reflects on his own mortality after Ozzy Osbourne's death: 'I take it very seriously'

"I needed to really get a lot of the creative feelings, emotions, and thoughts out there on my own — to make a statement on my own as I get to this point in my life," Oates tells EW.

By Staff Author

August 31, 2025 8:00 a.m. ET

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John Oates; Ozzy Osbourne. Credit:

Joy Malone/Getty; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

John Oates is determined to make the most of his life as he says goodbye to some of his contemporaries.

"I see the horizon's a little closer for me now than it was back when I was younger, which is as it should be, really," the 77-year-old singer-songwriter tells* *during a recent interview about his new self-titled album, *Oates*.

He says it was that feeling that gave him the need to "step away" from his beloved rock duo Hall and Oates and "make a statement on my own" as a solo artist following the loss of so many beloved musicians, citing the recent death of Ozzy Osbourne.**

John Oates performs live in concert. Dimitri Hakke/Redferns

"When I look around, and I don't want to become morose about this, but when I look around... Even just recently Ozzy Osbourne, you know? So many people are passing away," Oates remarks. "People who are my age — younger than me, even — and I see them falling by the wayside for any number of reasons."

Osbourne, a true heavy metal pioneer and founding member of Black Sabbath, died July 22 after suffering a heart attack. He was 76 years old.

As a result, the "Mending" singer explains that he's come to feel like "there's a time stamp on my creative life," too. And he wants to make sure that every minute is spent wisely.

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With every loss, Oates says that he's reminded that he still has "something to give" to the world through his music and to keep pushing forward as an artist in his own right.

"I'm still at the point in my life where I can still write, I can still sing, I can still play," he explains. "I've got something to give, and who knows how long it's going to last. And so I take it very seriously." **

That motivation has also led him to bid farewell to his over five-decade-long musical partnership with Daryl Hall — which spawned hits like "Rich Girl," "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)," and "Out of Touch" — and to invest in himself and the message that he wants to share with the world as a soloist. **

"I needed to take this [opportunity]," Oates shares. "I needed to step away from Hall and Oates, and I needed to really get a lot of the creative feelings, emotions, and thoughts out there on my own — to make a statement on my own as I get to this point in my life."

John Oates performing with Hall & Oates at the Palladium in New York City on Nov. 20, 1981.

Gary Gershoff/Getty

The singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer is doing just that with the release of *Oates*. The 13-track record sees the New York native expertly float tales of love, heartbreak, positivity, and frustration over a dreamy bed of smooth soul, R&B, and bossa nova melodies.

***Sign up for **'s free daily newsletter* *to get breaking news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.******* It's an album that Oates says is imbued with an "uplifted, positive feeling of moving forward" from his time in the musical duo and into his own kind of artist.**

"To me, the legacy of Hall and Oates and the things that Daryl and I created together is like a visit to a museum," he explains. "It will stand the test of time and hopefully still resonate further into the future. That music will hopefully never go away — which I'm so proud of — but, at the same time, you walk through a museum after a few hours, your feet start hurting, and you've seen so many beautiful things, and you say, 'Okay, enough is enough. I gotta move on. I've gotta go out into the sunshine and see what else is out there.'"**

*Oates* is available now.

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