Oh-oh here he comes. John Oates, who topped the charts with Daryl Hall in the ‘70s and ‘80s, says he is officially moving on from his once-partner, signaling an official end to the duo. Oates’ comments come amid the legal battle with Hall over the former trying to sell his music rights.
Speaking on the Behind the Velvet Rope podcast (via Variety), Oates said that while he is proud of his work with Hall, now that the two have major legal troubles between them and they haven’t released an album in seven years, it’s time to look at what’s in front of him. “I don’t like to live in the past… I make the analogy of what it’s like when you go to a great museum and you’re really excited to go and see all the beautiful paintings or the exhibits or whatever it might be, and then near the end, your feet start to hurt and you say, ‘You know what? I can’t wait to get out of here.’ That’s kind of how I feel about it…It’s just a matter of living in my present.”
While a focus on the now makes sense, as both Hall and Oates are in their mid-70s, it’s still a bit upsetting for fans to see how John Oates looks back on his time at the top of the charts with a certain bitterness. “We had number-one record after number-one record. We were traveling around the world constantly. Everyone thinks that that was probably the high point of my life, but to be honest with you, it actually wasn’t my favorite time.” Hall and Oates became embroiled in their legal clash just last month, with Daryl filing a restraining order against John.
Hall & Oates released their first album in 1972 and first hit the charts with their sophomore outing, Abandoned Luncheonette off of the single “She’s Gone”. While the ‘70s sparked other hits like “Rich Girl”, it was the 1980s that really saw Hall & Oates take over the charts, hitting the height of their fame with pop hits like “Maneater”, “Private Eyes” and “Kiss On My List”.
What is your favorite Hall & Oates song? Do you hope the pair patch it up? Let us know below.