Daryl Hall has cruelly extinguished hopes for a reunion with his former musical kindred spirit, John Oates, following their split nearly two years ago. After half a century of harmonious musical creativity, the 78-year-old Hall filed a lawsuit against his 76-year-old counterpart, Oates, in late 2023, branding his actions as the "ultimate betrayal of partnership" after Oates initiated the sale of his share in their shared publishing venture.
In rebuttal, Oates lambasted the looming court battle and charged Hall with making "inflammatory, bizarre, and factually incorrect assertions about me." More recently, in an exclusive interview with The Times of London, Hall emphatically stated that he would never again share the stage with Oates. "That ship has sunken to the depths of the ocean," Hall somberly remarked. "Life has thrown me many curveballs—surprises, disappointments, betrayals—so I'm somewhat accustomed to such occurrences."
Hall further hinted at his discontent with Oates' conduct, adding, "Over the years, I've crossed paths with some rather questionable characters. That's when the troubles begin to surface."
Last spring, Oates downplayed the significance of his decision to sell his stake in their creative union, saying to Michael Strahan on Good Morning America, "I figured, 'Daryl has always yearned to strike out on his own.' So, I thought, 'I'll grant him that chance. If I offload my half, he can do as he pleases.'"
To be frank, it was gradually tearing my life apart... I wasn't content. So, I thought, 'Well, I'll just bow out gracefully,' which people do all the time. You see, numerous artists offload their entire catalogs – it's quite customary... It's really not that big a fuss. However, Daryl didn't fancy the notion of me selling my share to a particular third-party entity.
Yet, Hall asserted that Oates' attempt to offload his stake was a "sneaky and dishonest maneuver." In his conversation with Strahan, Oates defended himself by emphasizing that despite their long-standing collaboration, they essentially functioned as two independent entities. "We've always seen ourselves as individuals working in tandem," he elucidated. "And I believed I had the prerogative to do so. But apparently, he didn't see it that way."
Elsewhere in his chat with The Times, Hall proudly declared that he was the driving force behind Hall & Oates' global success, a duo that sold over 60 million records and secured 16 Top 10 singles, thanks to chart-toppers like "Maneater," "Out of Touch," and "Rich Girl." "The songs he fronts are the ones he penned, while the remaining 90%, which I authored, stand tall on their own," he clarified.
Hall recently embarked on a new journey with former Eurythmics member and producer Dave Stewart, releasing 'D,' his sixth solo studio album and first in over a decade, last year. "Stewart is a whirlwind of energy. Witty and entertaining, absolutely. Also, manic. He's a non-stop force," Hall exclaimed to The Times.
Moreover, Hall revealed that his newfound partnership with Stewart is far more fulfilling than his collaboration with Oates. "It's deeply significant, a genuine collaborative bond built on maturity," he said.
Since the early 70s, Hall & Oates, who first met in an elevator in 1967, have landed six No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including "Kiss on My List" and "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)." They also boasted six platinum albums and numerous Top 10 singles like "Sara Smile" and "She's Gone."
"These are well-polished pop tunes. They seem to resonate beyond time. They don't sound outdated or nostalgic," Oates remarked about the timeless quality of their hits in a 2021 interview with the Associated Press. "They evoke the same response in today's youth as they did when they were fresh in the 70s and 80s."
In a 2018 interview with the Toronto Sun, Hall shared that the duo cherished their decades-long partnership as they continually found fresh approaches to revisit their older songs. "I do it because I love it, and I have something to say. A bird has to sing. And every time I do, it's a bit different. It keeps it lively. It keeps me joyful. That's what I'm all about," he enthused.
Yet, in a conversation with Bill Maher in 2022, Hall clarified that they were "not creative siblings." "We made records together as 'Hall & Oates,' but we've always been very distinct individuals, and that's crucial to me," he emphasized. "We harbor no ill will towards each other. We're friends. We just went in different directions, starting around 1975."
