Daryl Hall Files Lawsuit Against John Oates Over Alleged Attempt to Sell His Stake in Primary Wave Music
Daryl Hall accuses John Oates of breaching their partnership, as a lawsuit reveals the details Find out the shocking claims in the ongoing legal battle over the sale of Hall's share in Primary Wave Music
Daryl Hall and John Oates attend the 8th Annual NARAS Heroes Award Gala on December 11, 2003 in New York City. Evan Agostini/Getty Images
Daryl Hall, 77, has taken out a restraining order against his long-time music partner, John Oates, 75, after Oates made plans to sell his share of their joint business venture, Primary Wave Music. The lawsuit alleges that Oates' actions violate the terms of their business contract, although the specific terms have not been disclosed to the public.
In Nashville, a judge unsealed part of a lawsuit on November 22, granting Hall a restraining order to temporarily stop the sale of Whole Oats Enterprises LLP to a private investment firm. The judge ruled that Oates and his trust cannot close the sale until either an arbitrator responds in a separate case or the restraining order expires. The ruling was issued on the same day that Hall filed his lawsuit, which included an undisclosed complaint and a motion for a temporary restraining order. Subsequently, the judge allowed more details to become available.
Neither Hall nor Oates has publicly addressed the legal drama. Us has reached out for comment.
The two musicians formed their band in 1970, releasing 18 studio albums. Their last album, a holiday record, was released in 2006. Hall and Oates last toured together in October 2022, shortly after Hall downplayed their working relationship.
John Oates and Darryl Hall at the Harborfront Pavillion on July 20, 1991 in Baltimore. Paul Natkin/Getty Images
"I don’t have a partner. If you're referring to John Oates, he's my business partner, not my creative partner," Hall joked during an appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast in September 2022. "John and I are brothers, but we are not creative partners. We are business partners. We collaborated on records as Hall & Oates, but we've always maintained our separate creative paths, and that's really important to me."
He added, "There's no animosity between us. We're friends. We simply have different artistic directions, and we've had them since around 1975."
Hall & Oates’ music catalog was acquired by Primary Wave in 2007. By 2021, Hall seemingly regretted transferring the tracks’ ownership from BMC to Primary Wave.
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Hall revealed to Sky News in May 2021 that in the early days, his publishing was sold without him receiving the money. He admitted to still having a portion of his publishing but acknowledged that a lot of poor business decisions were made in the early days. He emphasized the importance of not selling one's publishing, stating that it is all an artist has.
Oates recently stated in an interview with UltimateGuitar.com that he doubts their band will make another record together. "I'd never say no to anything, but I doubt it. I think Daryl and I have moved beyond it, I really do," he said in the interview published in July. "The future of Hall & Oates is in the past."
