Daryl Hall Speaks on John Oates Feud and Reveals Why Duo Won’t Reunite: 'That Ship Has Gone to the Bottom of the Ocean'

Mar. 15, 2025

John Oates and Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates in April 2014.Photo:Michael Loccisano/Getty

Michael Loccisano/Getty

Daryl Hallopened up about his feud withJohn Oates.

In an interview withThe Timeson Friday, Feb. 28, the “Someone Like You” musician, 78, discussed whether he’d reunite with his former Hall and Oates bandmate, 76.

“That ship has gone to the bottom of the ocean,” Hall told the publication. “I’ve had a lot of surprises in my life, disappointments, betrayals, so I’m kind of used to it."

Daryl Hall and John Oates of Hall and Oates in April 2014.Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

The “Dreamtime” singer also claimed that he wrote the majority of Hall and Oates songs.

“The songs with his lead vocal are the songs he wrote, and all the other ones, which is about 90 percent, are the ones I wrote," said Hall, adding that he felt his contribution went a bit unnoticed.

“Yeah, it was very frustrating,” he said.

In a 2021interview withGQ,Oates discussed his songwriting process with Hall.

“The songwriting collaboration was that there were no rules,” he told the publication. “We’d write a song separately, we’d write a song partially, we’d operate almost as editors of each other, or have a true collaboration, and everything in between.”

He continued: “What I think happened, obviously Daryl’s voice is so outstanding, and his voice really cut through the radio way better than mine. I’m a good singer, I’m not a great singer, but when you’re standing next to Daryl, he’s a great singer. So naturally radio kind of gravitated to his voice, and his voice became the signature of the sound.”

In an email statement to PEOPLE, Oates called Hall’s characterization of his songwriting contributions “highly inaccurate.”

“Collaboration takes many forms and is seldom completely equal,” he wrote. “The real magic lies in the finished songs that we created together, and these songs would never have existed in their recognizable form without my and others' contributions.”

Oates added that, in his case, the “personal decision” to stop touring with Hall was the result of “many things” but “most importantly I’ve reached a time in my creative life when I felt that it was time for me to focus 100 percent on my personal songwriting and recording projects.”

In November 2023, Hallfiled a lawsuitand wasgranted a restraining orderagainst Oates, in an attempt to stop Oates’ alleged plans to sell his share of a joint business venture to a third party.

In May 2024, Oatestold PEOPLEthat he and Hall “never really” had a problem butting heads creatively, but it became more tense when it came to the business side of things.

“I think what happened was our partnership was established 50 years ago, and the documentation of that partnership was outdated and completely irrelevant to the people we became 50 years later,” he said.

Added Oates: “And when it was time to reevaluate how to modernize and how to make that partnership function in a better way, we had changed so radically as people that there was really no way to compromise on that.”

Daryl Hall (L) and John Oates of Hall and Oates performs in October 2017.Brian Rasic/Getty

Brian Rasic/Getty

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At the same point, he revealed that he felt good about the music he made with Hall, regardless of their relationship status (They last played together in 2022, and Oates said they have “no plans” to ever play together again.)

“Those songs will remain as the soundtrack for people’s lives. The songs don’t go away,” said Oates. “And that’s the beauty of this long-term partnership. The thing that we created will endure. That’s the important thing. I’m proud of everything we’ve done.”

source: people.com