John Oates reflects on Daryl Hall partnership amid lawsuit: 'I don't like to live in the past'

The former Hall & Oates bandmates are entangled in a legal dispute over a joint business venture.

John Oates is proud of his time as one half of the musical duo Hall & Oates, but these days his private eyes are looking forward, not back.

Amid his ongoing legal battle with ex-bandmate Daryl Hall, Oates said during a recent podcast appearance that he has "moved on" from the Hall & Oates experience. "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 okay because I'm very proud of that music," Oates said on the latest episode of David Yontef's Behind the Velvet Rope. "I'm really proud of what Daryl and I created together. I think we made music that will stand the test of time."

But, Oates added, "I don't like to live in the past." He compared it to a long day spent on one's feet: "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, and 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."

Hall & Oates formed in the 1970s and rose to prominence with hits including "Maneater," "Private Eyes," and "You Make My Dreams." Oates said those early years of superstardom were "very intense," telling Yontef, "There was no time for reflection. 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 number-one record after number-one 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."

He added, "I have moved on. It's just a matter of living in my present."

Hall, 77, filed a lawsuit against Oates, 75, last month to prevent him from selling his share of their joint venture Whole Oats Enterprises to Primary Wave Music, claiming that such a move would violate a business agreement between the two. Hall was also granted a temporary restraining order against Oates as part of the legal dispute.

Despite their recent quarreling, Oates offered a diplomatic response when EW asked him earlier this month if he'd ever perform with Hall again. "I never say never to anything," he said. "I don't know what's going to happen. I'm focused on where I am in life and leading the best life I can and moving forward."

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Hall vs. Oates: Daryl Hall filed restraining order against John Oates
  

• Why Daryl Hall is suing John Oates

• Daryl Hall says John Oates 'must be stopped' in new filing amid their bitter legal battle

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.