Judge pauses John Oates’ attempt to sell share of Hall & Oates joint venture
Hall & Oates FILE PHOTO: Daryl Hall and John Oates of Hall & Oates perform in concert at American Airlines Arena on June 7, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images) (Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
ByNatalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
The planned sale of John Oates’ portion of the Hall & Oates partnership will have to wait until he finds out if he can sell it without permission of his longtime collaborator Daryl Hall.
Oates had planned to sell his share of Whole Oats Enterprises LLP to an investment company, but Chancellor Russell Perkins has ordered the deal to be paused, The Associated Press reported. Whole Oats is a nod to their original name and their first album, The New York Times reported.
The sale may not be completed until February or if an arbitrator imposes a restraining order, Billboard reported.
The deal between Oates and the prospective buyers, Primary Wave IP Investment Management LLC, would involve the Hall & Oates trademarks, name and likeness rights, royalties and internet assets.
Primary Wave already controls some of the duo’s song catalog and has done so for 15 years, the AP reported.
Hall, 77, called plans from Oates, 75, the “ultimate partnership betrayal.”
Hall had said that Oates blindsided him with the planned sale and that he had lost trust in his partner since the sale was set to close while Hall was on tour.
Hall’s attorney, Christine Lepera, argued, “You cannot sell half of a partnership to a third party without the other party’s consent, and that’s just intuitively correct,” the AP reported.
Oates’ attorney, Tim Warnock said that the allegations that his client went behind Hall’s back were not true, “Mr. Oates proceeded exactly as he was allowed to proceed. Mr. Hall could have done the exact same thing himself.”
Hall and Oates had been together for 50 years, The New York Times reported. Hall was the lead singer and songwriter for most of the band’s hits.
They met in 1967 while performing at a sock hop in Philadelphia. Hall asked Oates to play guitar for his band. Eventually, they started writing songs together and signed a record deal in 1972. They ended up recording 18 studio albums and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
They had 29 hits on the Top 40 with six no. 1 records.
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Through the years UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1970: Photo of Hall & Oates Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images (Michael Ochs Archives)
Through the years Daryl Hall and John Oates of Hall And Oates perform on a TV show in 1975 in Hilversum, Netherlands. (Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns) (Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)
Through the years American musicians Darryl Hall (left) and John Oates perform at Park West, Chicago, Illinois, November 22, 1978. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) (Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Through the years American rock and soul duo Hall & Oates (American singer-songwriter and musician Daryl Hall, and American singer-songwriter and guitarist John Oates) in a studio portrait, against a blue background, circa 1980. (Photo by Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images) (Lynn Goldsmith/Getty Images)
Through the years View of American Pop musicians Daryl Hall (left) and John Oates, both of the duo Hall & Oates, as they sit on a low stage during an interview on MTV at Teletronic Studios, New York, New York, December 16, 1982. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images) (Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)
Through the years (L-R) American musicians saxophonist Charles DeChant, bassist Tom 'T-Bone' Wolk, singer and guitarist Daryl Hall, drummer Micky Curry, singer and guitarist John Oates and guitarist GE Smith pose during the making of the video 'Say It Isn't So' at the West 23rd Street pier, New York City, NY, November 16, 1983. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images). (Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)
Through the years LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 13: Daryl Hall and John Oates pose backstage during the 30th Annual American Music Awards (AMA) at the Shrine Auditorium on January 13, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robert Mora/Getty Images) (Robert Mora/Getty Images)
Through the years NEW YORK, NY - MAY 20: Daryl Hall (L) and John Oates perform at the Great Googa Mooga 2012 at Prospect Park on May 20, 2012 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) (Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
Through the years NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 10: Inductees Daryl Hall (L) and John Oates of Hall and Oates speak onstage at the 29th Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on April 10, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images) (Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
Through the years MIAMI, FL - JUNE 07: Daryl Hall and John Oates of Hall & Oates perform in concert at American Airlines Arena on June 7, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images) (Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
