Daryl Hall accuses John Oates of an unauthorized sale of shares in the company.
In a current legal dispute between the musician duo Hall & Oates, Daryl Hall is making serious allegations against his long-time bandmate John Oates. Hall claims he was “caught off guard” by Oates’ plans to sell a stake in the company, while Oates dismisses the allegations as “inaccurate.”
Hall fears “immeasurable” damage
According to court documents filed Nov. 29 in Nashville Chancery Court and obtained by Rolling Stone, Hall accuses his bandmates of making a “completely secret and disingenuous move.” Oates is said to have tried to sell a share of her company “Whole Oats Enterprises” to the music publisher Primary Wave without Hall’s consent. Hall would have learned of the sale offer just two days before the start of a month-long tour.
Hall ultimately rejected the sale because he disagreed with Primary Wave’s “business model.” The musician feared the sale could cause “immeasurable” damage to Whole Oats Enterprises’ brand, personal name, royalties and online world. So he had no intention of entering into a partnership with Primary Wave. He accused Oates and his lawyers of violating their partnership agreement with their surprise approach by carrying out the transaction “completely behind his back.”
Oates responded to the allegations, calling Hall’s statements “inflammatory, exaggerated and inaccurate.” He said he was “deeply disappointed” in Hall’s actions and stressed that over the past 50 years he had made sure that fans perceived Hall & Oates’ music in a positive light.
The dispute came to a head on November 17, when it was announced that Hall had filed a restraining order against Oates. A hearing is scheduled for November 30.
More about Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates’ long-standing partnership began in 1967 when the two musicians met at the Adelphi Ballroom. The duo is famous for hits like “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” “You Make My Dreams” and “Maneater.”
In 1985, Rolling Stone journalist Lynn Hirschberg described the duo’s relationship as “strange” and explained that Hall & Oates “are a mixture of business partners and brothers. Hall doesn’t really seem to like Oates, and Oates seems distant, even aloof, from the entire ‘Hall & Oates organization.’