Richard Oakes was born in Perivale, West London, and grew up in the Parkstone area of Poole, Dorset in southwestern England.

Prior to joining Suede, Oakes played in a band called "TED" along with his friends Peter Field (vocals) and Colin Forbes (Rhythm guitar).

[3] At the age of 17, and after beating approximately five hundred candidates, Oakes officially joined Suede on 17 September 1994 (2 weeks before his 18th birthday).

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.

Suedes's reunion continued with their sixth album, Bloodsports, on which Oakes co-wrote all but two of the songs, released in March 2013.

[6] Oakes played guitar on 6 songs on Alison Moyet's 2024 album Key and co-wrote the single "Such Small Ale".