Legendary singer-songwriter John Oates produces the third annual 7908 Aspen Songwriters Festival in the picturesque ski resort of Aspen, Colorado, March 21 – 25, 2012. Having quickly grown into one of the premier songwriters festivals in the country, this year’s event features thirteen performances over five nights with genres from Americana to Alt-Rock to Pop.Artists scheduled to appear include: Matt Nathanson, Kenny Loggins, Gary Burr, Matt Scannell (Vertical Horizons), Sophie B. Hawkins, James McMurtry, JD Souther, Adam Aijala and Ben Kaufmann (Yonder Mountain String Band), Marc Broussard and many others. Each night is magical as legendary writers perform side-by-side with the next great generation of songwriting talent.The festival, which Oates created in partnership with the City of Aspen, takes place in the historic Wheeler Opera House. A member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and one half of the most successful duo in the history of rock and pop, Oates will also perform at the event’s grand finale with Sam Bush on Sunday, March 25. Proceeds from the non-profit festival support the mission of celebrating the art and craft of songwriting while mentoring and developing a new generation of talent.In addition to producing the festival, John Oates has never been busier touring both with Hall & Oates and his solo project, The John Oates Band. Hall & Oates just returned from a two week tour of Australia and are enjoying a new generation of fans experiencing their music. Since the formation of their partnership in the early 70's, Hall & Oates have sold over 80 million albums. Their influence on modern pop music has been cited by numerous contemporary bands like the Gym Class Heroes, the Killers, and Hot Chelle Rae, who reference the duo’s musical inspiration in shaping their sound. Over the past decade, John Oates has continued to explore his musical roots. In 2011, John’s album “Mississippi Mile” delivered a fresh and unexpected sound. Since 1999, John Oates has recorded four solo albums: “Phunk Shui“, “100 Miles of Life”, “Mississippi Mile” and, most recently, a live album called “The Bluesville Sessions” set to be released in 2012.
