Now that we’ve punned on a relevant song title: John Oates, the sometimes-mustachioed half of Hall & Oates, is working on a memoir that will be published by St. Martin’s Press sometime next year. He’ll get some help from Chris Epting, a veteran music journalist who’s also published books on pop culture landmarks like Madonna’s bra.
Oates will pull inspiration from the “detailed journals” he’s kept on his personal matters, journals that may or may not be full stock of thoughts and dreams that scatter. He has released a statement indicating that he will share his memories of his pre-Hall (which were also the post-Hohl) days in the Philly folk and blues scenes. But there’s no telling what else readers will be made privy to: Oates could revisit that time he dressed as a Chippendale dancer for a music video, or recall when Dave Atell was his id/mustache.
For its part, St. Martin’s press is hoping for a “personal tour of the American music scene,” but we just want to learn whether in the book of the life of John Oates, Phunk Shui fills a whole chapter or just ends up in the footnotes.