Music Legend John Oates Receives BMI Troubadour Award In Nashville

As a singer, songwriter, and musician, John Oates’ extraordinary career has spanned more than five decades. First, as one half of Hall & Oates, the duo he created with Daryl Hall in 1970.

Together the two produced a string of megahits like “Maneater,” “I Can’t Go For That,” “She’s Gone,” “Sara Smile,” “You Make My Dreams Come True,” and others. Today, Hall & Oates still ranks as the best-selling pop duo of all time.

Oates followed the longtime partnership with a successful solo career. Then, nearly fifteen years ago, he moved to Nashville where he’s become an active part of the Americana music community.

BMI, a global leader in music rights management, presents its annual Troubadour award to exceptional songwriters. In receiving the award, Oates joins an elite class that includes Robert Earl Keen, John Prine, John Hiatt, Billy F. Gibbons, and Lucinda Williams.

“A Troubadour is someone who mixes knowledge with memories and puts that into songs to help us better understand the connections we all share,” noted Clay Bradley, BMI Nashville’s VP of Creative. “John Oates is the epitome of that.”

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Former BMI President and Chief Executive Officer, Del Bryant, noted Oates, after more than fifty years of performing, continues to make his mark on music.

“He’s still telling stories the world loves to hear, still partnering with phenomenal musicians, and back to the roots he loves. John is still at the center of, and is still a maestro, at what’s next on the music scene. That’s the definition of Troubadour.”

To celebrate Oates and his music, friends and collaborators took to the stage to perform some of his songs.

Sam Bush and Molly Tuttle sang “Out of Touch,” then Bush stayed on stage for a bluegrass version of “Arkansas.” Wendy Moten and Rome Ramirez did “She’s Gone,” and AJ Croce took to the B-3 organ for his rendition of a song he and Oates co-wrote called “Reunion.”

Oates, who sat at the table of honor with his wife, Aimee, moved and sang along with every word.

“It’s funny because these are the guys I record with, they’re on my records, and I’ve toured with them,” Oates said later. “And during rehearsals members of the band were going, ‘Are you sure you’re going to sit in your chair all night and not get up on stage?”

For someone who clearly “feels the music,” it wasn’t easy, even at his own award ceremony.

But Oates did end up debuting his new single set for release this Friday. It’s a song called “Mending,” and he sings it with an up-and-coming singer/songwriter named Devon Gilfillian.

“I found Devon here in Nashville,” Oates says, “and as soon as I heard him sing and found out he’s from Philadelphia (where Oates grew up), I thought, okay we’ve got to do something together.”

Oates invited him to his house for a songwriting session.

“When he came to my house, my wife pulled out her Tarot cards and I reached down and picked one up and it said Mending. I said, ‘Okay, that’s our song! It was kind of a joke really, but when we sat down, we went, ‘This is really good.’”

Oates says, at this point in his career, he enjoys collaborating with younger artists.

“It keeps the juices flowing for me. I like to think the younger artists bring the energy and I bring the experience, and that’s a powerful combination.”

Oates is still touring, preferring to do more intimate, acoustic shows these days. He also writes consistently with plans to release another new album in early 2025.

“It’s be much more groove-oriented, much more in the style of “Mending,” he says.

He’s as passionate about the music as he’s always been with his creative wheels consistently turning. At the same time, he was deeply touched by having so many in the music industry come together to celebrate his many contributions to music, so far.

“It was a great honor,” he says of the Troubadour award. “I was really thrilled and humbled by it.”

The night wrapped up with Bekka Bramlett performing her version of another dynamic John Oates song, this one called “Stand Strong.”