For 30 years, Daryl Hall and John Oates made beautiful music together. But for the last 20 years, they have been saying I can’t go for that to the other one.
So, last year, Oates decided he wanted to sell his half of Hall & Oates, and Hall filed a restraining order against his singing partner. And the fans were like, say isn’t so.
Since then, neither man has really talked about their failed music marriage. But in recent weeks, Hall broke his silence and said they had not worked together creatively in over 20 years.
Today, Oates spoke to Michael Strahan on Good Morning America. “We never really had a lot of disagreements. But then again, we really didn’t talk to each other very much,” he explained. “Over the past 20 years, we’d show up at a show individually, walk on stage, play, and then we’d go our separate ways. It really wasn’t as tight as people might, you know, would like to imagine in their kind of a fantasy imagination of our relationship.”
Oates also said that even though they were a duo, they were both individuals as musicians. And now they are going their separate ways because Hall & Oates is out of touch and out of time.
Even though it seems like there is ill will between them, Oates’ message to his former bandmate was not that. “I love you like a brother if I’m talking to him directly,” he said. “But you know what? Brothers have disagreements. Families grow apart. I would say, ‘I wish him the best. I hope that he has everything he wants in life. And that he can pursue his dream of being a respected solo artist.’ Which I believe is something that he’s always wanted.”
And now they are both getting it. Oates released his eighth solo album this week.
When it comes to if I am Team Hall or Team Oates, I am Team Oates. I just feel that Hall screwed him over when it comes to terminating their partnership.
