John Oates Says He Has “Moved On” Amid Legal Battle With Bandmate Daryl Hall

Denise Petski
·2 min read
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John Oates is speaking out amid his ongoing legal battle with bandmate Daryl Hall, saying he has “moved on” from the experience.

Hall sued Oates last month over Oates’ plan to sell his share of their joint venture Whole Oats Enterprises to Primary Wave Music without the other’s permission. Hall was granted a temporary restraining order against Oates as legal proceedings continue.

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“You can’t ignore the fact that the Hall & Oates catalog of hits and the 50-year career will always trump almost anything that Daryl does on his own or I do on my own, which is okay because I’m very proud of that music,” Oates said recently on David Yontef’s Behind the Velvet Rope podcast. “I’m really proud of what Daryl and I created together. I think we made music that will stand the test of time.”

He continued, “I don’t like to live in the past. I make the analogy of what it’s like when you go to a great museum and you’re really excited to go and see all the beautiful paintings or the exhibits or whatever it might be, and then near the end, your feet start to hurt and you say, ‘You know what? I can’t wait to get out of here.’ That’s kind of how I feel about it.”

Hall and Oates formed the duo Philadelphia in 1970. During their peak years of 1974-91 as Hall & Oates, the pair reached the U.S. Top 40 with 29 of their 33 singles charting on Billboard’s Hot 100.

“There was no time for reflection. It was a lot of business demands, a lot of heavy demands… Daryl and I were at the top of the pop world. We had number-one record after number-one record. We were traveling around the world constantly. Everyone thinks that that was probably the high point of my life, but to be honest with you, it actually wasn’t my favorite time.”

He added, “I have moved on. It’s just a matter of living in my present.”

Six of the duo’s singles reached No. 1: “Rich Girl” (1977), “Kiss on My List” (1980), the two 1981 releases “Private Eyes” and “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)”, “Maneater” (1982) and “Out of Touch” (1984). Seven of their albums have been RIAA-certified platinum and six others gold.

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