When news broke last week that Daryl Hall had filed a restraining order against his longtime musical partner John Oates, I thought to myself, "Say it isn't so."
It's sad to see given all the joy they have brought millions of people around the globe as a duo, but appearances are seldom what they seem.
Subsequent reports revealed that Hall is suing Oates to prevent Oates from selling his share of their joint partnership Whole Oats Enterprises to Primary Wave Music. On Thursday, a judge in Tennessee ruled in favor of Hall slapping a temporary injunction preventing Oates from selling his share until an arbitrator makes a ruling which is expected on or before February 17, 2024.
For his part, Hall accused Oates of the "ultimate partnership betrayal". Oates countered that he is "deeply hurt" by Hall's actions.
Legally, I cannot say who is wrong and who is right. But I do take sides and, in this instance, I'm with Oates.
In an interview with Bill Maher in September 2022, Hall made a point of publicly denigrating Oates' contributions to their long collaboration. Hall said, “You think John Oates is my partner? … He’s my business partner. He’s not my creative partner.”
If Hall only considers Oates to be a business partner (as if he were an accountant) rather than a musical equal, then I don't blame Oates for wanting to put an end to their business partnership.
Whatever the outcome of their dispute, it appears that Hall and Oates have become estranged just as The Everly Brothers were and Simon & Garfunkel are now. Perhaps some things are better left unsaid.
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