Hall & Oates are embroiled in a secret legal battle that has led Daryl Hall to obtain a restraining order against his former music partner John Oates.
Little information about the case is publicly available because court documents are sealed, but Hall filed an undisclosed complaint and a motion for a temporary restraining order against Oates on Nov. 16, according to court records. The next day, the court officially issued a temporary restraining order to begin on November 30.
The Nashville Chancery Court upheld the case VarietyBut declined further comment because the case is sealed.
As TMZ points out, Hall disparaged Oates Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast Last year, “Do you think John Oates is my partner? … He’s my business partner. He’s not my creative partner”.
He continued, “John and I are brothers, but we are not creative brothers. We are business partners. We made the Hall & Oates record together, but we’ve always been separate, and that’s the most important thing to me.
Hall later downplayed the Hall & Oates collaboration, citing the 1980 No. 1 hit “Kiss on My List” as an example of their apparent creative separation. “I did all that [harmonies],” Hall said. “It’s all me.” Oates is not credited as a songwriter on “Kiss on My List”, but is listed as co-producing it with Hall.
Hall & Oates met in 1967, formed their duo three years later and released 18 studio albums beginning in 1972 with “The Whole Oates”. The pop-R&B duo has had six No. 1 singles, including “Maneater,” “Rich Girl” and “Out of Touch.” Hall & Oates toured together in October 2022, and released their latest studio album, “Home for Christmas”, in 2006. Hall and Oates both have separate recording careers and have toured separately over the years, but neither has ever officially toured. broke up
Additional reporting by Variety staff.
