In news that Variety says is akin to "a final split between peanut butter and jelly," Daryl Hall confirms what's been whispered about for some time: The pop duo Hall & Oates, with business partner and bandmate John Oates, is officially kaput. "That is correct," Hall told the magazine when asked if he and Oates were done for good. The issues between the two, who started the group in the early '70s, apparently stemmed from Oates' attempt to hawk his half of the pair's company, Whole Oats Enterprises, which oversees intellectual property, royalties, and the like. Oates needed the OK from Hall to sell his portion, which Hall apparently wasn't OK with.
"It hit me by surprise," Hall tells Variety. "All I can say is people change and sometimes you don't really know someone like you thought you did. Difficulties can be made from things that aren't difficult, and then it goes to a place where it can never come back from. ... People rewrite history and harbor thoughts you had no idea about." He adds that a "creative relationship" between himself and Oates hasn't existed in a quarter century.
Last month, Oates offered a similar vibe during an interview with the AP on his new solo album, Reunion—a happening he said didn't look likely to take place with himself and Hall. "I personally don't see it happening. It's not in my plans at all," Oates said, adding that there's been zero communication between the two men for some time. "You can ask Daryl Hall what he thinks. But for me personally, no." He also seemed to acknowledge to Rolling Stone last month that their group effort together was finally over. "As far as I'm concerned, I've moved on," he said. "I feel like I have a new lease on my creative life."
More from Hall's chat with Variety here. (More Hall and Oates stories.)
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