Back in 1967, Daryl Hall and John Oates crossed paths in Philadelphia. They first met in an elevator while leaving a venue where they had booked gigs with their bands. They didn’t know that they would form a duo, but that was the beginning of Hall & Oates.

The duo went on to have six of their singles on the Billboard Hot 100 list, and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Some of their best-known songs include “Maneater,” “Out of Touch,” “You Make My Dreams,” and Rich Girl.”

Hall previously told The Los Angeles Times that he and Oates originally planned to record another album together in recent years, but the Covid-19 pandemic changed that. He explained, “perceptions changed, life changed, everything changed. I’m more interested in pursuing my own world. And so is John.”

While fans may have been disappointed at the news that Hall and Oates decided not to record another album after all, now they have even more reason to be disappointed. It’s highly doubtful that Hall and Oates will ever even perform together again.

According to the Davidson County Chancery Court Clerk and Master’s Office’s website, on November 16, 2023, Hall requested a restraining order against his former bandmate. The restraining order was granted the following day.. Part of the case has been unsealed, according to Associated Press, revealing that Hall is attempting to block Oates from selling his share in their joint venture, Primary Wave Music.

According to Rolling Stone magazine:

Primary Wave already owns a “significant interest” in Hall & Oates’ music following a deal Hall made in 2006, which Hall admitted he regretted in interviews in recent years as the acquisition price of artists’ publishing has exploded.

“Oh, in the early days, it got sold off for me and I didn’t get the money,” Hall said in a 2021 interview about the initial Primary Wave deal. “I have a bit of my publishing, but a lot of bad business was done in the early days – I’m a real rock and roll story when it comes to that kind of thing. Never sell your publishing — maybe if you’re, you know, 80 years old and you decided to retire, then you can sell your publishing, but I wouldn’t even suggest it then, I don’t believe in that concept. It’s all you have is that.”

Primary Wave subsequently acquired the copyrights for about 70 songs written by sisters Sara and Janna Allen, who teamed with Hall & Oates on hits like “Maneater,” “You Make My Dreams” and “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do).”

Oates isn’t the only person listed in the lawsuit. It also lists Richard Flynn and Oates’s longtime wife, Aimee Oates, because they are co-trustees of The John W. Oates TISA Trust.

According to the office’s public records request coordinator, Maria M. Salas, a hearing is scheduled for the morning of November 30th.

Watch the video below for more information about this apparent feud between former bandmates.