John Oates fell in love with Philadelphia soul music while he was a student at Temple University. After meeting Daryl Hall he went on to form Hall & Oates, a duo whose enduring popularity crossed boundaries of region, race, and age group. But John was always about more than Philly soul alone. He was a regular at Philadelphia folk venues and immersed himself in traditional ballads as well as music by the likes of Joan Baez, the Rev. Gary Davis, Doc Watson, and Mississippi John Hurt. Now, living with his family in the Colorado mountains, John Oates continues to investigate America's musical past--both as a curator (he's on the board of the R&B Foundation) and as a musician who has released a pair of acclaimed solo albums. His latest, "1000 Miles of Life," was recorded in Nashville and brings the folk and R&B sides of his musical background together.