Fans of Hall & Oates may be saddened to learn that the iconic pop-rock duo are currently on opposite sides of a bitter legal dispute.
Daryl Hall, 77, sued John Oates, 75, in Nashville Chancery Court on Nov. 16, as first reported by Philadelphia magazine. The court documents are sealed — for Private Eyes only, apparently — so there is little public information about the cause of this legal battle.
On top of the lawsuit, Hall filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against Oates. The following day, the restraining order was granted. It will take effect on Nov. 30.
Hall paid a US$50,000 bond for the restraining order.
While some could speculate that the pair fell out over a Rich Girl, the lawsuit more likely has something to do with their business dealings. The suit involves “contract/debt,” according to online records.
Hall and Oates met while attending Temple University, according to the duo’s website. They’ve been collaborating for decades, writing mega-hits like Maneater, You Make My Dreams (Come True) and Sara Smile.
Even in recent years, Hall and Oates have toured prolifically together. They are a rare example of a popular music group formed in the ’70s that is still together to this day — though that may not last for long.
In 2022, Hall & Oates performed seven concerts, though they have yet to make a single appearance together this year, Rolling Stone reports.
Cracks in their relationship came to the fore in September 2022, when Hall was interviewed on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast. He appeared to diminish the importance of the duo’s collaboration in their music.
“You think John Oates is my partner? … He’s my business partner. He’s not my creative partner,” Hall said. “We made records called Hall & Oates together, but we’ve always been very separate, and that’s a really important thing for me.”
“We don’t write together very much, never did, really,” he added. “We went separate ways creatively. We needed to have that space apart, in that respect, even though we never stopped playing together, but now it just feels … I don’t know how to describe it. When it feels right, it feels right.”