John Oates Reveals Hall & Oates’ Prime Years Was Not The Best Of His Life

John Oates, from the musical duo Hall and Oates, said that he’s proud of the career he made with his collaborator Daryl Hall. However, reflecting on their success, he said the peak years of their musical journey weren’t the best times of his life.

During a recent Behind the Velvet Rope episode, Oates noted he couldn’t talk about the ongoing legal dispute between them but predicted that “things will work itself out and time will tell.” He said:

“You can’t ignore the fact that the Hall & Oates catalog of hits and the 50-year career will always trump almost anything that Daryl does on his own or I do on my own. Which is OK, because I’m very proud of that music. I’m really proud of what Daryl and I created together.”

He continued:

“I don’t like to live in the past. … I make the analogy of what it’s like when you go to a great museum, and you’re really excited to go and see all the beautiful paintings or the exhibits or whatever it might be.
“‘Then near the end, your feet start to hurt and you say, ‘You know what? I can’t wait to get out of here.’ That’s kind of how I feel about it.”

Oates added that “it’s just a matter of living in my present.”

Hall & Oates’ At The Top

Oates recalled during their most successful years that “it was very intense” and “there was no time for reflection.” He stated:

“It was a lot of business demands, a lot of heavy demands.
“Daryl and I were at the top of the pop world. We had No. 1 record after No. 1 record. We were traveling around the world constantly. Everyone thinks that that was probably the high point of my life, but to be honest with you, it actually wasn’t my favorite time.”

Watch the video below.