Hall & Oates: Why Daryl Hall Got a Restraining Order on John Oates
Daryl Hall getting a restraining order on John Oates has been one of the most surprising stories in music lately. On the surface, Hall & Oates appeared solid, but there’s more going on behind the scenes than fans realized.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Hall’s restraining order on Oates is part of a larger legal issue involving a sale of the Hall & Oates catalog and other business interests. This sale by Oates allegedly violates the terms of an existing agreement he’s had with Hall.
The AP notes, “A Nashville chancery court judge issued the temporary restraining order on Nov. 16, writing that Oates and others involved in his trust can’t move to close the sale of their share of Whole Oats Enterprises LLP to Primary Wave IP Investment Management LLC until an arbitrator in a separately filed case weighs in on the deal, or until the judge’s order expires — typically within 15 days, unless a judge extends the deadline.”
Little else is currently known about the terms of the existing business agreement between Hall & Oates. However, the AP also reports that Primary Wave IP Investment Management LLC has owned “significant interest” in the Hall & Oates catalog for the past 15 years.
A court hearing around this issue — and maybe more, from the sound of it — will take place on Nov. 30.
Lingering Tensions?
In a Sept. 2022 appearance on Club Random with Bill Maher, Hall made some surprising comments about his partnership with Oates. Maher referred to Oates as Hall’s “partner.” This led to Hall saying, “He’s my business partner. He’s not my creative partner.” He then added that while the two musicians made music together under the Hall & Oates name, they were always two separate entities. He then alluded to being the primary creative force in the duo. Hall gave an example saying the duo’s hit “Kiss On My List” was “a Daryl demo.”