Today is a big day in the history of pop duo Hall & Oates: their song “Maneater” hit No. 1 on this date in 1982 and stayed there for four weeks. It was the biggest hit of their career.
Some 41 years later, however, the duo appears to be done.
In mid-November, Daryl Hall filed suit against John Oates, alleging that his plan to sell off his share of their company, Whole Oats Enterprises, LLP, to Primary Wave, a music publishing company, would violate the terms of their business agreement. A judge then temporarily blocked the sale. In another court filing on November 29, Hall wrote, “this recent bad faith conduct by John Oates and the Oates Trust has created tremendous upheaval, harm and difficulty in my life. Not to mention unnecessary expense and burden, during a time when I am in the middle of a tour… Respectfully, he must be stopped from this latest wrongdoing and his malicious conduct reined in once and for all.”
Despite the ongoing legal battle, Oates told reporters he’s thankful for his years-long partnership with Hall. “I have an amazing, amazing amount of respect, and I’m really, really thankful for the success that Daryl and I have had,” Oates said. “We’ve done something over a 50-year period of time that not many people ever can say they’ve done in their lives or careers.”
Oates was recently revealed as the Anteater on the hit TV show “Masked Singer.”
He said after that reveal that he’s moved on from Hall & Oates, but he wouldn’t rule out reuniting with Hall one day.
“Oh, you know what, I never say never to anything,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I just want, right now, I’m focused on where I am in life and leading the best life I can and moving forward.”
