| Richard Oakes | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Richard John Oakes |
| Born | 1 October 1976 |
| Origin | Perivale, West London, England |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Occupations | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar, Piano and some Strings |
| Years active | 1994 - present |
| Associated acts | Suede |
Richard Oakes (born Richard John Oakes 1 October 1976 in Perivale, West London) is an English musician and former guitarist, songwriter and occasional pianist and backing vocalist of the English band, Suede.
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Richard Oakes was born in London and raised by his parents in Poole, Dorset, in the South-West of England. His first contact with a guitar came when he stumbled upon a Spanish guitar owned by his sister, Katy. The record that influenced him to pursue a career in music was "The Story of the Clash, Volume 1", which he heard when he was 12. Before he joined Suede, he played in a band called "TED" along with his friend, Peter. The band was actually originally titled 'PIPATED' - 'Plug in Peter and the Electric Daffodils'.
The first gig Oakes attended was one of Suede's at the Poole arts centre in May 1993. He later heard that guitarist Bernard Butler had left the band and that the band were auditioning for a replacement. He recorded a version of "My Insatiable One", which he sent to the bands fanclub and following this he performed "Heroine" at the audition.
At the age of 17, and after beating approximately five hundred candidates, Oakes officially joined Suede on 17 September 1994 (exactly 2 weeks before his 18th birthday), replacing Bernard Butler. Oakes first public appearance with the band was on Top of the Pops, while his first full live appearance was at a secret fan club gig at London's Raw Club on 10 October 1994. The first song he performed live, and the first video he appeared in, was "We are the Pigs".
His first co-writing credits were the B-sides of single "New Generation", "Together" and "Bentswood Boys".
Oakes went on to co-write many songs with Anderson on subsequent albums and B-side material, several of which went on to become hit singles in the UK.
In 2008, writer and producer Sean McGhee confirmed on his Myspace site that Richard is working with him on new material. No further information has yet been disclosed, although McGhee confirmed in a March 2009 blog entry that sessions are ongoing and that they now have 11 songs written.
In 2009, Sean McGhee posted a blog entry saying that he and Richard already have 14 songs to date. He disclosed 3 of the 14 songs' titles namely: "I Keep on Walking," "Forever in Negative" and their brand-new one, "You"—a song about sexuality and archetypes—which he is very excited about.
Richard will be reuniting with Suede for a one off gig at the Royal Albert Hall in 2010. [1] Sean McGhee has confirmed on his Myspace blog that his project with Richard is still ongoing, and work will continue around Suede's schedule. [2]
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