He’s gone.
John Oates has revealed the real reason he split from Hall & Oates, and it doesn’t have to do with his recently resolved legal dispute with former bandmate Daryl Hall.
During an interview with People published Wednesday, Aug. 27, the “Rich Girl” rocker admitted that he no longer felt “challenged” when it came to performing as the rock duo.
“It was always exciting, and it was always great to play with a great band,” Oates, 77, explained. “It was more about not being challenged, because when I get on stage, I’m going to give it all I’ve got.”
“Daryl and I spoke about this a lot,” he continued. “We became almost prisoners of our success.”
The “She’s Gone” singer added that he no longer felt like he was part of the beloved Rock & Roll Hall of Fame duo, and that he decided to leave the group to pursue a “totally freeing” solo career.
“All of a sudden, I was not really thinking that I was part of Hall & Oates, even though I technically still was for a period of time,” Oates shared.
“I said, ‘In order for me to find myself, all I have to do is go back and revisit my past and see where that takes me,’” he concluded. “And from there, that’s been the jumping-off point.”
Hall, 78, and Oates performed together for decades after forming Hall & Oates in Philadelphia in 1970.
Despite becoming the best-selling duo in pop history with hits like “Maneater” and “Private Eyes,” their partnership broke down in November 2023 when Hall was granted a restraining order against Oates.
Hall sued Oates to stop him from selling his share of their joint business entity, Whole Oats Enterprises, to music publisher Primary Wave.
One month later, as the ugly court battle raged on, Oates confirmed that he had “moved on” from both Hall and Hall & Oates.
“I have an amazing, amazing amount of respect, and I’m really, really thankful for the success that Daryl and I have had,” he said in December 2023. “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.”
“I’ve moved on. I moved on in a big way,” Oates added at the time. “I’ve got other things I’m doing.”
Months later, Oates put an end to any potential Hall & Oates reunions when he revealed he and the “You Make My Dreams” singer shared “no communication” amid the lawsuit.
“I personally don’t see it happening. It’s not in my plans at all. You can ask Daryl Hall what he thinks,” he said. “But for me personally, no.”
The lawsuit, meanwhile, was resolved earlier this month through private arbitration, per the Associated Press. Specific details of the resolution remain confidential.
As for Oates, he has continued to release solo albums since breaking away from Hall & Oates.
His newest record, “Oates,” releases Friday, Aug. 29, and the “Kiss on My List” singer called it one of his “most fulfilling” projects yet.
“I didn’t have time to second-guess or to overanalyze,” Oates told People. “Everything seemed to work. The choices of the players, the songs, everything was very seamless.”
“And that, to me, that’s always the mark of something that’s good,” he concluded. “I didn’t have to rewrite. I didn’t have to rerecord.”
