John Oates opens up about the legal issues surrounding Hall & Oates

In a series of media appearances, John Oates shares his side of the story over his legal battle with longtime creative partner Daryl Hall. The duo who have been around since the 70s have been business partners for over 50 years and are famous for their huge hits like "Rich Girl" and "You Make My Dreams (Come True)."

Last year, Hall filed a lawsuit against Oates alleging that Oates attempted to sell his share of their jointly owned company, "Whole Oats Enterprises," without Hall's permission.

During an interview Oates said he was indeed trying to sell his share of the company and explained the reason behind his decision. "When this whole situation got mired in legality and really complex legal wranglings, I got frustrated," he said. "And I said, 'You know what? Daryl has always wanted to be his own man.' I said, 'I'm gonna give him the opportunity to do that. If I sell my half, he can either, you know, he can do what he wants..And it was kinda ruining my life, to be honest with you…I wasn't happy. And I said, 'Well, I'll just step aside,' people do it all the time. I mean, you look at all the artists who are selling all their catalogs…it's pretty common…It's not that big a deal. But Daryl didn't like the idea that I would sell to a certain third party."

Court documents show Hall claimed Oates' plan was unauthorized because he allegedly did not receive Hall's consent, which Hall said Oates is required to do. Hall said in the documents that Oates and his co-defendants engaged in the transaction "completely behind my back and without my written approval."

Hall, who said in his court filing that he was "blindsided" by the ordeal, also called Oates' actions the "ultimate partnership betrayal," noting that paperwork shows negotiations between Oates and Primary Wave "began, at latest, on October 2, 2023, when a nondisclosure agreement was signed." He added that he first learned of the deal on Oct. 20, 2023.

Here's Michael Strahan talking to Oates about the situation....