Inside the Hall & Oates Lawsuit
Daryl Hall and John Oates before the Hall and Oates split
The Hall & Oates lawsuit shows that one of music's most beloved duos is beefing big time.
Daryl Hall sued John Oates in November 2023 over business matters. Prior to the lawsuit, Hall filed a restraining order against his former music partner.
Why are the "Maneater" singers out of touch with each other now? The "Rich Girl" crooners are reportedly feuding over money from their massive catalog of soft rock hits. Let's break down the Hall & Oates breakup and the lawsuit that followed.
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Why did Hall and Oates split up?
Technically, they never actually had a public split. However, both Hall and Oates alluded to moving forward separately in recent years. In 2021, Hall told The Los Angeles Times, "Perceptions changed, life changed, everything changed. I'm more interested in pursuing my own world. And so is John."
He added, "It's very annoying to be a duo, because people always say, 'Oh, you're the tall one, you're the short one. You're the one that sings, you're the one that doesn’t sing.' You're always compared to the other person."
Just a month ago, Oates told The Tennessean, "Being creatively freed of perpetual connection to my hits while still retaining the power of my legacy is a satisfying feeling."
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What is the Hall and Oates lawsuit about?
According to the Associated Press, Hall sued Oates after Oates intended to sell his share of their joint venture, Whole Oats Enterprises LLP, to Primary Wave IP Investment Management LLC. Though much of the case isn't privy to the public because it was filed under seal, what we do know so far is that Hall's attorneys alleged that Oates may have violated a confidentiality agreement when he revealed the duo's business arrangements to Primary Wave in Oates' sale intent letter. Oates' wife and other representatives of Oates' trust are also named in the lawsuit.
The sale has been halted while Hall and Oates (and Oates' trust) are in arbitration.
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Why are Hall & Oates fighting?
Hall and Oates are feuding over money and the rights to perform certain songs in their respective solo shows. Hall sued Oates when Oates tried selling his own share of a joint venture with Hall.
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Why is there a restraining order between Hall and Oates?
Hall filed a restraining order against Oates to prevent the latter from performing Hall & Oates songs that Hall wrote, according to TMZ.
Who owns Hall and Oates' masters?
Primary Wave actually acquired the publishing rights to much of Hall & Oates' catalog in 2007 through a deal with songwriters Sara and Janna Allen, who penned hits including "Kiss on My List," "Maneater," "Private Eyes," "I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)" and "You Make My Dreams Come True." Hall previously said he was unhappy about the sale because he didn't make any money from it.
While Primary Wave owns the publishing rights, it's unclear who actually owns the master recordings to the group's catalog.
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Are Hall and Oates still friends?
In 2020, Hall told The New York Post that he and Oates had never gotten into a "real fight" since they met as teenagers in Philadelphia. At the time, Oates added, "The fact that Daryl and I are still friends, that he and I still get along—it's a miracle. But we do."
That said, as of this writing in November 2023, chances are the "Private Eyes" singers don't see eye to eye. Hopefully, they'll be able to reconcile once their attorneys are done with their billable hours.
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