Thanks to the AP we now know why Daryl Hall is suing John Oates.
Oates want to sell his portion of the hit songs he wrote with Hall to Primary Wave Music Publishing. Hall is trying to stop him saying they have an agreement about all this stuff.
Hall is basically saying “I can’t go for that,” but Oates will likely prevail. He’s in his 70s and like other songwriters of his age and legacy he wants to cash in for estate purposes.
Why is Hall blocking him? Just to be difficult, probably.
Most of the case is under seal, so it may be some time before we get all the details. According to the AP, Primary Wave already has a sizeable interest in the Hall & Oates catalog. So what’s the difference?
It does seem like Hall & Oates are over, kaput, for good, which is no surprise. But there won’t be reunion tour, etc. They are done.
The duo had a lot of hits. Some were written by them together, some with Sara Allen, some just by Hall. Oates’s name is one the biggest ones, however, including “Sara Smile,” “She’s Gone,” “Maneater,” “Out of Touch,” “You Make My Dreams (Come True),” “I Can’t Go for That,” and a couple of my favorites like “Back Together Again” and “Is it a Star.”
Ironically, Hall wrote one of other early favorites, “It’s a Laugh.” He thinks he’s going to get the last laugh, but I don’t think so. John Oates put in a lifetime with Daryl Hall. Hasn’t he suffered enough? Let him enjoy himself now. He deserves it.
