Photo: Getty Images
Daryl Hall and John Oates seem to be a little "Out of Touch" these days as news of "mysterious litigations" between the beloved duo surface. According to FOX29, Hall is suing Oates for reasons that remain classified under a lawsuit filed by The Daryl Hall Revocable Trust in the Nashville Chancery Court on November 16th.
Per publically available legal documents, Hall and his trust sued Oates and his trust (The John W. Oates TISA Trust) and obtained a restraining order against Oates. Axios reporter Nate Rau brought news of the lawsuit to light on Friday (November 17), stating that all court documents will remain private until further notice.
This is not the first time that Hall has attempted to sue Oates. According to Medium, Hall sued Oates in 2006 when Oates failed to show up to a scheduled tour date in Delaware. Oates claimed to be too sick to perform that night and turned around and sued Hall for defamation. In 2018, Oates sued Hall again for firing him from the band.
Slated as the "number-one selling duo in music history," Hall and Oates are known for taking the '70s and '80s by storm with infectious pop-rock tracks like "Sara Smile," "She's Gone," "Say It Isn't So," and more. 16 timeless Hall & Oates classics made it into the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart from 1974 to 1991.
Six hits including, "Kiss on My List," "Rich Girl," "Private Eyes," "Maneater," "You Make My Dreams (Come True)," and "Out of Touch," peaked at number one. Hall and Oates were inducted as a duo (despite disbanding multiple times) into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2020 the pair celebrated one billion streams of "You Make My Dreams (Come True)."
As millions of "Private Eyes" wait patiently for the sealed documents to be released to the public, fans (especially those who hoped for a future Hall & Oates reunion) expressed apparent sadness regarding the litigation.
"Daryl Hall is suing John Oates. The documents are sealed so we don’t know why yet. But I’m suddenly depressed…" one X user relayed. Another commented in punny disbelief, noting his love for the iconic pair. "Say it ain't so?? My favorite artists of all time."
No additional information is available at this time as the legal battle proceeds.