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Daryl Hall & John Oates
Daryl Hall and John Oates, 2008
Background information
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Genres	Pop rock, blue-eyed soul, soft rock
Years active	1969–present
Labels	Atlantic, RCA, Arista, U-Watch
Website	www.hallandoates.com
Members
Daryl Hall John Oates

Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s with a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul." Critics Stephen Thomas Erlewine and J. Scott McClintock write,^[1] "at their best, Hall & Oates' songs were filled with strong hooks and melodies that adhered to soul traditions without being a slave to them by incorporating elements of new wave and hard rock." While much of the duo's reputation is due to its sustained pop-chart run in the 1980s, they continue to record and tour, and remain respected by various artists for their ability to cross stylistic boundaries.

They are best known for their six #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "Rich Girl", "Kiss on My List", "Private Eyes", "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)", "Maneater", and "Out of Touch", as well as many other songs which charted in the Top 40. In total, the act had 34 singles chart hits on the US Billboard Hot 100, seven RIAA platinum albums, and six RIAA gold albums.^[2]

In 2003, Hall and Oates were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Billboard Magazine had Hall & Oates at #15 on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time and the #1 duo,^[3] while VH1 placed the duo as #99 on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.

Background[link]

Daryl Franklin Hohl (born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania on October 11, 1946) ^[4] and John William Oates (born April 7, 1949)^[5] first met each other at the Adelphi Ballroom in Philadelphia in 1967.^[6] At the time they met, each was heading his own musical group, Hall with The Temptones and Oates with The Masters. They were there for a band competition when gunfire rang out between two rival gangs, and in trying to escape, they ran to the same service elevator.^[6] On further finding out that they were interested in the same music and that both were attending Philadelphia's Temple University, they started hanging out together on a regular basis and eventually ended up sharing a number of apartments in the city.^[6] One of the apartments they shared had "Hall & Oates" on the mailbox, which is what they ended up using as their duo's name.^[7] It would take them another two years to form a musical duo, and three years after that, they signed to Atlantic Records and released their debut album.^[8][9] The two didn't seriously start working together until 1970 after Oates got back from an extended stay in Europe.^[4]

1972–1974: First albums[link]

Early in their recording careers, Hall & Oates had trouble clearly defining their sound, alternating among folk, soul, rock and pop. None of their early albums - Whole Oats, Abandoned Luncheonette and War Babies - were very successful, despite being produced by such big-name producers such as Arif Mardin and Todd Rundgren. They had no hit singles during this time period, though Abandoned Luncheonette contained "She's Gone". This song would be covered by Lou Rawls and Tavares before Atlantic Records re-released the Hall & Oates version in 1976. "She's Gone," as covered by Tavares, did go to Number One on the R&B charts in 1974. It was originally written for Hall's first wife, Bryna Lublin (Hall), and initially inspired by Oates' being stood up on a date on New Year's Eve. Another Abandoned Luncheonette single, "Las Vegas Turnaround", was written about (and mentioned by first name) Hall's girlfriend, flight attendant and future songwriting collaborator Sara Allen.

1975–1977: First hits[link]

Hall & Oates left their first record company, Atlantic Records, after the release of War Babies to join their second label, RCA Records. Their first album for the new label Daryl Hall & John Oates (often referred to by their fans as the silver album because of the silver lamé material on the original album cover) was their first legitimate success. It contained the ballad "Sara Smile," a song Hall wrote for his aforementioned girlfriend Sara Allen. It also featured an album cover in which Daryl and John are overly made up with make-up to the point where they (especially the then-long-haired Hall) looked like women. Hall would later say in an interview for VH1's Behind the Music that he looked like "the girl I always wanted to go out with" on that album cover.

"Sara Smile" became their first Top 10 hit, reaching Number 4 on the chart in June 1976. "She's Gone," re-released by Atlantic Records after "Sara Smile" also went to the Top 10, reached Number 7 in October 1976. Hall & Oates followed those hits with the more pop-oriented Bigger Than Both of Us later that year. Though the first single from the album—the Philly soul-oriented ballad "Do What You Want, Be What You Are"—barely made the Top 40, their second single was a smash. The song "Rich Girl" was Hall & Oates' first Number 1 hit, reaching the pinnacle for the week ending March 26, 1977.

[edit] 1977–1980: Leaner years and Sacred Songs

After this small run of hits, Hall & Oates still encountered difficulty getting radio play. Despite touring constantly and recording albums with efficiency, the duo could not find any pop success for a number of reasons, mainly because of the popularity of the disco genre. By the time they released the rock-oriented albums Beauty on a Back Street in 1977 and Along the Red Ledge in 1978, disco music was trendy and taking most of the spots in popular music. Hall & Oates released X-Static in late 1979, which combined rock with dance music but the album did not fare well although "Wait For Me" did hit the top 20. They did release a few hit singles during this period: the follow-up to "Rich Girl" ("Back Together Again") hit the Top 40, and "It's A Laugh" (from "Along The Red Ledge") hit the top 20 in 1978. In 1977, RCA attempted to push Daryl Hall to the fore with his first solo effort Sacred Songs. However, after being presented with the highly experimental recording (produced by Robert Fripp of King Crimson), RCA became unwilling to release what was, in their view, a non-commercial album. "Sacred Songs" was eventually released in 1980.

[edit] 1980: Voices

The 1980s brought about significant changes for Hall & Oates. The pair felt that the biggest hindrance to their success was that their music was being filtered through outside producers, and that studio musicians were not familiar with their own tastes and thoughts. They also wished to capture the sound of New York City which, by then, had become their home. As a result, instead of recording in Los Angeles, as they had done previously, they decided to record at Electric Lady Studios in New York, just five minutes away from their apartments, and began producing their own recordings with their touring band backing them in the studio. They also enlisted Hall's girlfriend Sara Allen (and also her younger sister Janna) as songwriting collaborators, as well as beginning a working relationship with Neil Kernon, an engineer on Voices who would work as co-producer on their succeeding two albums.

The resulting album, Voices, was written, produced and arranged by Daryl Hall & John Oates in one month, according to their authorized biography Dangerous Dances (by Nick Tosches), and was notable for having a clearer style and better sound than their previous releases. The first two singles from the album charted fairly well, with "How Does It Feel to Be Back" charting at Number 30. The well-received cover of The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" just missed the Top 10, peaking at Number 12, but spent 14 weeks in the Top 40. After the release of that song, Oates' contribution as the lead vocalist diminished on future releases. The third single "Kiss on My List" hit Number 1 in April 1981 and remained there for three weeks. The follow-up single "You Make My Dreams" reached Number 5 in July of that year.

The other well-known song from Voices is the emotive ballad "Everytime You Go Away", with powerful lead vocals by Hall, who wrote it. British singer Paul Young had a Billboard Number 1 hit with a cover of the song in 1985. Though the Hall & Oates original (recorded in a Memphis-soul style) was never released as a single, it remains a fan favorite on the duo's greatest hits albums and was featured on their Apollo Theater CD in 1985, and is frequently featured in their live set to this day.

[edit] 1981: Private Eyes

By the time "You Make My Dreams" was falling off the charts, Hall & Oates had already released their follow-up album Private Eyes. Having worked in the studio while Voices was at its peak in popularity, the two had already recorded most of their material and felt there was no need to repeat the previous album's formula. The result was the first Hall & Oates album to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and the four singles from Private Eyes all reached the Top 40.

The title track and "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" were nearly consecutive Number 1 hits, separated only by the ten-week stay at Number 1 by the monster hit "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John. "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" was one of the few songs ever recorded by a white act to reach Number One on both the R&B and the pop charts. "Did It in a Minute" reached Number 9 in the spring of 1982, and "Your Imagination" peaked at No. 33. This album is now considered among the duo's best albums, mixing soul, new wave and power pop.

[edit] 1982: H₂O

Their next album H₂O, a very polished, synth-heavy effort, became the duo's most successful album to date. H₂O reached Number 3 on the album chart and spawned three Top 10 singles. "Maneater", the biggest hit of their career, reached Number 1 on December 18, 1982 and stayed there for four weeks. The ballad "One on One" and a cover of Mike Oldfield's "Family Man" reached Number 7 and Number 6 in March and June 1983, respectively.

Daryl Hall - NME - November 1982^[10]

According to John Oates, they recorded approximately twenty songs for the album, of which nine didn't make the final cut. He went on to say they usually would have five or six tracks left over per album.^[11]

"One On One," with its clever mixed-metaphorical references to romance and basketball, was used in NBA commercials of the period.^[12] The commercial featured numerous players, including Hall of Famer James Worthy performing a 360-degree slow-motion lay-up during the saxophone solo.^[13]

For the H₂O album, Hall & Oates made some permanent changes to their current band. Drummer Mickey Curry, who had appeared on some Private Eyes tracks, including the title song, replaced Jerry Marotta full time. Bassist Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, who had mimed John Siegler's bass line in the "Private Eyes" video, replaced Siegler full time. These two joined the band's holdovers—lead guitar player G.E. Smith (according to G.E. Smith himself, "G.E." stands for "great entertainment"), and saxophonist Charlie "Mr. Casual" DeChant. De Chant and Wolk continued to perform with the duo until Wolk's death in early 2010, while Curry returned for the Do It for Love sessions.

[edit] 1983: Rock 'n Soul Part 1

By the fall of 1983, Hall & Oates were one of the biggest pop music acts in America. They had five Number 1 singles to their credit, two consecutive Top 10 albums and were one of the biggest names on MTV. A cover of the 1957 Bobby Helms classic "Jingle Bell Rock" was recorded and released in time for Christmas 1983, complete with a humorous video of the band, that received extensive airplay on MTV. In 1983, they released their first greatest hits album entitled Rock 'n Soul Part 1. The album peaked at Number 7, and the two new songs that were written and recorded for that LP also became Top 10 hits as well.

	"Adult Education" noicon
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The first single released from this album "Say It Isn't So" battled six weeks for the Number 1 spot with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson's "Say Say Say" at the peak of Thriller mania. "Say It Isn't So" remained at Number 2 for an impressive four weeks from December 1983 to January 1984. The battle with the McCartney/Jackson single led disc jockey Peter Bush of New York's WPLJ Radio, which had just switched from rock to Top 40 the previous June, to intro the Hall & Oates entry "Say, Say, Say It Isn't, Isn't, Isn't So, So, So".

Hall & Oates' follow-up single "Adult Education" received heavy airplay at both pop and black (urban contemporary) radio, and reached Number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1984. It was accompanied by a dark, New York City-oriented music video set in a cave. John Oates later told VH1 that the clip resembled the Survivor TV show on acid.

[edit] 1984: Big Bam Boom

Hall & Oates returned to the studio in 1984 after a rest period to begin work on the Big Bam Boom album. Unlike their previous album H₂O, this album had even more of an electronic, urban feel to it, combining their song structure & vocalization with the latest technical advances in recording and playing. The album employed some of the most sophisticated equipment ever used in the recording industry at the time (most notably the Synclavier II, one of the first computerized synthesizer workstations). Noted remix and hip-hop icon Arthur Baker worked very closely with the duo as a consultant, and produced dance remixes of four of the album's singles.

The lead-off song "Dance on Your Knees" (written by Hall and co-written by Baker) is basically an homage to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's song "White Lines". Released in late 1984, the first single from the LP Out of Touch became the group's sixth Number 1 hit on December 8, 1984, receiving tremendous airplay. "Method of Modern Love", which debuted on the pop charts while "Out of Touch" was at Number 1, reached Number 5 in February 1985. "Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid" reached Number 18, and "Possession Obsession" (a song in which John Oates sings lead) reached Number 30 in 1985 as well. The group's "Live Thru '85" tour to promote the album began in November 1984, sponsored by Pontiac's latest sports car, the Fiero. In addition, Pontiac allowed Oates, a skilled amateur racer, to drive in Pontiac's factory IMSA GTU race car in Camel GT pro races. In April 1984, the Recording Industry Association of America named Hall & Oates the most successful duo in rock history.^[4]

[edit] 1985: Live at the Apollo

Hall & Oates have almost always toured extensively for each album release. But in 1985, the duo took a break after the release of their Live at the Apollo album with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick—voices of The Temptations and two of their heroes. This was RCA's second attempt at a live Hall & Oates album, following the 1978 release Livetime. Live at the Apollo was released primarily to fulfill the duo's contract with RCA, and contained a top-20 hit with a medley of "The Way You Do the Things You Do" and "My Girl", both hits Ruffin and Kendrick had recorded with the Temptations in 1964.

After the live recording in spring 1985, the quartet of Hall, Oates, Ruffin and Kendrick performed in July at the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia, and again at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York later that year, complete with an Apollo Theater-style marquee descending on the stage during their performance. The Philly portion of the Live Aid concert used the Hall & Oates backing unit as the house band, consisting of Wolk, DeChant, Smith and Curry.

Just prior to Live Aid, on July 4, 1985, Hall & Oates performed at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey as part of the Liberty Concert where they played an outdoor benefit concert for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. It became a major music event, drawing an estimated crowd of over 60,000 people. Daryl Hall and John Oates also collaborated on the USA For Africa "We Are the World" project.

In 1986, Daryl Hall scored a Top 5 hit with "Dreamtime", from the album "Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine". That album also included the Top 40 hit "Foolish Pride" and the Top 100 hit "Somebody Like You," later performed by the duo live on their "Behind the Music" set. Although John Oates did not have a solo hit as a singer, he did earn a Top 10 credit as producer and co-songwriter (with Iva Davies) of the 1988 Icehouse hit "Electric Blue."

1988–1990: The Arista years[link]

Hall & Oates signed with Arista Records, their third record company, in 1987 shortly before the string of Top 10 hits ended, in Tommy Mottola's effort to keep them under contract when their RCA obligation ran out. Their first album for the label, Ooh Yeah!, included the hits "Everything Your Heart Desires" (Number 3 in May 1988—their last to make the Top 10), "Missed Opportunity", and "Downtown Life". Beginning with Ooh Yeah!, album and single releases were credited as Daryl Hall John Oates, with the '&' or 'and' missing between the duo's names. It was the last Hall & Oates album, other than greatest hits packages, to enjoy platinum success. They recorded one more album for Arista called Change of Season. The album's first single "So Close" (co-produced by Jon Bon Jovi) reached Number 11 and was Hall & Oates' last major hit. Another song from the album, "Don't Hold Back Your Love," has become a Hall & Oates staple in concert. Change of Season was a more mainstream rock album than their previous work. Despite the fact that Ooh Yeah! and Change of Season reached platinum and gold status respectively, they were perceived as disappointments.

1991–2006[link]

The duo's occasional songwriting collaborator Janna Allen (sister of Sara) died of leukemia in 1993. Hall & Oates released the Marigold Sky album in 1997 (their first all-new studio album in seven years), which included an adult contemporary hit "Promise Ain't Enough." They also released a "VH1 Behind the Music" Greatest Hits package shortly after appearing on the show in 2002. At the same time, Daryl and Sara, professional/personal collaborators, broke off their romantic relationship after some three decades. Their friendship is still apparently strong; he has noted her help in his recovery from his 2005 attack of Lyme disease. Hall & Oates released the Do It for Love album in 2003, whose title track was a number-one Adult Contemporary hit. They have also released the Hall & Oates Live DVD from an A&E Live by Request special. This album was the first release (and first success) for their newest joint venture U-Watch Records. Hall has also released third and fourth solo albums titled Soul Alone (1993) and Can't Stop Dreaming (originally released in Japan in 1996), and a live two-disc solo album titled Live in Philadelphia (2004).

Hall & Oates covered Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom" on the 1991 John/Taupin tribute album "Two Rooms", saying in the booklet, "We chose 'Philadelphia Freedom' because the music is so close to our hearts, and the lyrics represent the way we feel about Philadelphia." Oates released his own solo album in 2002 entitled Phunk Shui and a companion live concert DVD. Hall & Oates also released their first CD of (mostly) covers, Our Kind of Soul, in 2004. It includes some of their favorite R&B songs, such as "I'll Be Around" (their first Hot 100 entry in over a decade), "Love TKO", Dan Hartman's "I Can Dream About You", and more. Hall & Oates are still on the touring circuit, traveling nearly as much as they did in years past. In addition, a DVD of live performances of the songs from Our Kind of Soul was released in November 2005.

Hall & Oates released a Christmas album, Home For Christmas, on October 3, 2006, which contains two Christmas originals and covers. It includes a version of "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear", which became their second number one Adult Contemporary hit.^[14]

2007–present[link]

In September 2007, representatives for Montreal-based band Chromeo stated in a press release, "Indeed, Chromeo's idols Hall & Oates have asked them to collaborate with them on their upcoming record! Needless to say, the gentlemen are giddy like schoolchildren to be given this opportunity," as reported by Pitchfork Media.^{[citation needed]} This collaboration with Chromeo was expected to be released in late 2008/early 2009, but as of 2011 has not surfaced. On May 20, 2008, Hall and Oates were honored as BMI Icons at the 56th annual BMI Pop Awards. As of 2008, their songwriting has collected 24 BMI Pop Awards and 14 BMI Million-Air awards.^[15]

There were two notable nationally televised appearances for the duo in late 2008. On October 27, Oates sang the National Anthem before Game 5 of the 2008 World Series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia (Hall had taken sick, and the game was called on account of rain about 2/3 through, but resumed on October 29, and the Phillies won, claiming their first World Series Championship in 28 years).^[16] (Though born in New York, John was raised in a suburb of Philadelphia and attended Temple University^[17]) Then, on December 11, both Hall and Oates appeared on the year's last episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. They sang a satirical tribute to Alan Colmes, as he would leave Fox News a month later.^[18][19] On March 24, 2009, Hall and Oates performed together on the American television show Dancing with the Stars.^[20]

On October 13, 2009, a 4-CD box set was released, titled Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall and John Oates. This set represents the most comprehensive hits collection by the duo as it includes songs from various labels. Also included are three songs recorded by Hall and Oates with their earlier bands prior to their forming Hall & Oates as a duo. On October 23, 2009, in one of the last concerts at the Wachovia Spectrum, Hall & Oates and Philadelphia-area musicians The Hooters and Todd Rundgren headlined a concert titled "Last Call". In the spring of 2010, Hall & Oates embarked on their "Do What You Want, Be What You Are" tour in the United States. They appeared on the American Idol season finale on May 26, 2010 performing "You Make My Dreams". Also in 2010, Hall & Oates announced they would join a growing artists' boycott of the state of Arizona over the state's recently passed anti-illegal immigrant laws.^[21]

On May 8, 2012, the two performed on the NBC reality singing competition The Voice.

Songwriting[link]

In an interview in a 1983 issue of Juke Magazine, John Oates was asked about whether conflicts arose. John replied that "we have our creative differences but we reconcile them". He said that if they both came up with a different way of doing something, they'd try it both ways and whatever sounded the best of the two they would use.^[11]

In popular culture[link]

Members[link]

• Daryl Hall - vocals, guitars, keyboards
• John Oates - guitars, keyboards, bass, vocals

Backing musicians[link]

Current members

• Charles DeChant - saxophone, keyboards
• Brian Dunne - drums
• Eliot Lewis - keyboards
• Zev Katz - bass
• Everett Bradley - percussion
• Paul Pesco - guitars

Past members

• John Siegler - bass
• Mike Braun - drums
• G. E. Smith - guitars
• Mickey Curry - drums
• Jerry Marotta - drums
• Caleb Quaye - guitars
• Bob Mayo - keyboards, guitars
• Tom "T-Bone" Wolk - bass
• Kasim Sulton - bass, keyboards
• Aaron G. Wilkinson - instruments
• Shane "Da Pain" Carter - instruments
• Kenny Passarelli - bass
• Keith Merritt - percussion
• Robbie Michael - keytar

Discography[link]

See also[link]

	Book: Hall & Oates
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

Philadelphia portal

• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Laura Fissinger, Hall & Oates (Mankato: Creative Education, 1983).
• Brad Gooch, Hall & Oates: Their Lives and Their Music (1985).
• Nick Tosches, Dangerous Dances: The Authorized Biography (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1984).

External links[link]

• Hall & Oates official website
• John Oates' official website
• Hall & Oates: Behind The Music Remastered @ VH1.com
• Daryl Hall's official website 'Live from Daryl's house'
• Hall & Oates No Goodbyes Fan Site & Board
• Hall and Oates Radio
• Hall & Oates Forever - Unofficial Fan Blog & Message Board
• Hall & Oates discography at MusicBrainz
• Daryl Hall at bmi.com
• John Oates at bmi.com

Daryl Hall (born October 11, 1946) is an American rock, R&B and soul singer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter and producer, best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of Hall & Oates (with co-founder/guitarist/songwriter John Oates). Hall scored several Billboard chart hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, and is regarded as one of the best soul singers of his generation.^[1] Guitarist Robert Fripp,^[2] who collaborated with him in the late 1970s and early 1980s, has written, "Daryl's pipes were a wonder. I have never worked with a more able singer." Since late 2007, he has hosted the web television series, Live From Daryl's House. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004.^[3]

Early life and career[link]

Daryl Franklin Hohl was born in Pottstown, a Pennsylvania borough 40 miles from Philadelphia. He started a recording career during and after attending Owen J. Roberts High School, from which he graduated in 1965 and entered Philadelphia's Temple University, majoring in music, while working with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff as both an artist and session musician. Pursuing his goals in the big city, Hall quickly formed creative affiliations with such artists as Smokey Robinson, the Temptations and many other top soul singers of the 1960s.

In 1967, he met John Oates, also a college student from Temple, and embarked on a 30-odd year creative journey. According to Daryl Hall they met when, "We got in the middle of a fight at a dance - I have no idea what the fight was about. I guess the Greek letters on one gang's jackets didn't appeal to the other gang. We both beat it out the back and met on the elevator while leaving the place rather quickly." Hall was already a senior, while Oates was a freshman, and both had played it out temporarily, until Oates transferred schools, at only 19. Daryl did not let this discourage his musical career as he worked in a short-lived rock band Gulliver. By 1969, just one year after his dropout from college, Hall went back to concentrating on recording other artists, which led them into signing their very first record contract, early in 1972.

Hall & Oates[link]

Signed to Atlantic by Ahmet Ertegun and managed by Tommy Mottola in the early 1970s, Hall & Oates have sold more albums than any other duo in music history. Their second album, Abandoned Luncheonette, produced by Arif Mardin and released in 1973, yielded the single, "She's Gone", which went to #7 in the U.S. Top 10 on re-release in 1976 after reaching #1 on the R&B charts when it was covered by Tavares. The duo recorded one more album with Atlantic, War Babies (produced by Todd Rundgren), before they were dropped and promptly signed to RCA. During their tenure at RCA the duo catapulted to international superstardom.

From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, Hall & Oates would score six U.S. #1 singles, including "Rich Girl" (also #1 R&B), "Kiss on My List", "Private Eyes", "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" (also #1 R&B), "Maneater" and "Out of Touch" from their six multi-platinum albums - Bigger Than Both of Us, Voices, Private Eyes, H2O, Rock 'n Soul Part 1 and Big Bam Boom - the last five of which were released consecutively. The era would also produce an additional five U.S. Top 10 singles, "Sara Smile", "One on One", "Family Man," "You Make My Dreams", "Say It Isn't So" and "Method of Modern Love".

Solo projects[link]

In addition to his work with Oates, Hall has made music as a solo artist as well as recording with Robert Fripp in the late ‘70s, working on Fripp’s critically praised, Exposure album from 1979. 1977 Fripp produced and performed on Hall's debut solo album, the much-acclaimed Sacred Songs. This album was released 1980.

In 1984, he co-wrote and produced, with Arthur Baker, the single Swept Away for Diana Ross, which reached US #19, US R & B #3 and US Dance/Club Play #1.

In 1985, Hall performed two songs in the first Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Illinois.^[4] Hall participated in the We Are the World session as well as closing the Live Aid show in Philadelphia. He also made an album with Dave Stewart that year, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine. He has recorded such solo works as Soul Alone in 1993 and Can't Stop Dreaming in 1996, both of which were received well internationally.

In July 2005, Hall was diagnosed with Lyme Disease causing him to cancel a majority of Hall & Oates' summer tour. The duo released a Christmas album in October 2006 titled Home for Christmas.

In 2007, Hall guest starred on the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, portraying an MC of a world music fest.

On November 14, 2007, Hall appeared on the Howard Stern Show, discussed his hatred of deer and rabbits, prompted by his career-threatening bout with Lyme Disease, sang acoustic versions of "Sara Smile' and "Rich Girl", and talked about his new monthly performance webcast called "Live from Daryl's House". The webcast has so far featured appearances by KT Tunstall,Rob Thomas, Eric Hutchinson, and Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy, as well as a holiday special featuring songs from the Hall and Oates release, Home for Christmas. The show featured guests Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger of The Doors.

Speaking of his reasons for starting the Live From Daryl's House webcast, in June 2008 Hall told noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul: "For me it was sort of an obvious thing. I've been touring my whole adult life really, and, you know, you can't be EVERYWHERE! Nor do I WANT to be everywhere at this point! I only like to spend so much time per year on the road. So I thought 'Why don't I just do something where anyone who wants to see me anywhere in the world CAN?! And, instead of doing the artist/audience performance-type thing, I wanted to deconstruct it and make the audience more of a fly-on-the-wall kind of observer... I mean, what I've always done onstage is very natural. I talk to the audience and it's a very sitting-roomy kind of thing. So I just thought I'd basically bring that to the web."^[5]

On March 12, 2008, Hall played a well-received set with his band at the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.^[6]

Hall was slated to sing the National Anthem before Game 5 of the 2008 World Series at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park but, due to an illness, could not appear, and Oates filled in for him.^[7]

In 2009, Hall guest starred on the Independent Film Channel series, Z-Rock (as himself).

In 2010 Hall was back in the studio working on a solo recording with bassist and musical director, T-Bone Wolk. Wolk died of a heart attack on February 28, 2010, hours after completing a session with Hall. Hall released a statement about the death of his bassist of nearly 30 years: “It’s not if I will go on, but how? T-Bone was one of the most sensitive and good human beings that I have ever known.”^[8]

On June 11, 2010 Hall shared the stage with electronic duo Chromeo for a special late night set at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The groups had previously collaborated in a 2008 episode of Live from Daryl's House. Their Bonnaroo set consisted of a mix of both Hall & Oates and Chromeo tracks with the encore featuring Fancy Footwork and You Make My Dreams.

Hall hosted WGN America's 2010 New Year's Eve coverage as a Live from Daryl's House special. The special featured clips of previous Live from Daryl's House episodes. Steve Dahl, a Chicago radio host, praised the special as the best New Year's Eve special on television for 2010–11, but criticized the show's lack of a live countdown to midnight.^[9]

On September 27, 2011 Daryl Hall released "Laughing Down Crying" on Verve Records.

In August 12, 2011 UK Electronic duo Nero released their debut album "Welcome Reality", which features guest vocals by Hall on the track "Reaching Out", which also samples Hall & Oats 80's hit Out of Touch. Reaching Out was released as the sixth single on December 6, 2011.

Personal life[link]

Hall had a 30-plus year relationship with Sara Allen (the inspiration for the song "Sara Smile") which ended in 2001 for undisclosed reasons. They were never married nor had any children. Hall does have one son, Darren, from another relationship. He was married to Bryna Lublin from 1969 to 1972. He is now married to Amanda Aspinall and lives with her and his two step-children, March and Orson. March does backing vocals on songs "Save Me," "Message To Ya" and "Eyes For You" on Daryl's 2011 album, Laughing Down Crying.^[10]

Hall restores and preserves historic homes in both the United States and England. In 2008, he purchased the 18th century Bray House, in the Maine town of Kittery.^[11] and is in the process of restoring it.^[12] He also has restored a Georgian-style home in London, England, first built in 1740, one of only 50 houses with direct waterfront access to the River Thames.^{[citation needed]} He purchased two homes located near Hartford, Connecticut – one built in 1771, the other in 1780 – and had them moved to the same property in New York's Dutchess County where they were combined and restored; the new structure was later sold.^[13] After having the houses moved, he discovered that both homes, by coincidence, were connected to the same family.^[13]

Hit singles[link]

Hall has written or co-written 11 Billboard Number One songs, "She's Gone" (with John Oates as covered by Tavares), "Rich Girl", "Kiss On My List" (with Janna Allen), "Private Eyes" (with Sara Allen, Janna Allen & Warren Pash), "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" (with John Oates & Sara Allen), "Say It Isn't So", "Maneater" (with John Oates & Sara Allen), "Out of Touch" (with John Oates), "Everytime You Go Away" (covered by Paul Young) and "Do It For Love" (with John Oates).

Hall also sang lead vocals and has written or co-written 8 more popular Billboard songs that also made it to the Top 10, such as: "Adult Education" (with John Oates & Sara Allen), "Sara Smile" (with John Oates - a song that refers to Hall's ex-girlfriend), "Method of Modern Love" (with Janna Allen), "You Make My Dreams" (with John Oates & Sara Allen), "Everything Your Heart Desires", "One on One", "So Close" (with Jon Bon Jovi & Danny Kortchmar) and "Did It in a Minute" (with Sara Allen & Janna Allen). He has also had hits as a vocalist, reaching #12 with his 1980 rendition of The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Loving Feeling," and #6 with 1983's "Family Man," written by Mike Oldfield.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Official Hall and Oates Website
• Live From Daryl's House
• Daryl Hall at the Internet Movie Database

John Oates
John Oates in 2009.
Background information
Birth name	John William Oates
Born	(1949-04-07) April 7, 1949 (age 63)
Origin	New York City, New York, United States
Genres	Blue-eyed soul, pop rock, rhythm and blues, soul, bluegrass
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar
Years active	1967–present
Labels	Atlantic, RCA, Epic, Arista, U-Watch
Associated acts	Carly Simon, Hall & Oates
Website	www.hallandoates.com

John William Oates (born April 7, 1949) is an American rock, R&B and soul guitarist, musician, songwriter and producer best known as half of the rock and soul duo Hall & Oates (with co-founder/lead vocalist/songwriter/occasional instrumentalist Daryl Hall).

Though he was a primarily a guitarist he also co-wrote several songs including: "Sara Smile" (with Daryl Hall - a song that refers to Hall's then-girlfriend, Sara Allen), "You Make My Dreams" (with Sara Allen & Daryl Hall), "She's Gone" (with Daryl Hall), "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" (with Sara Allen & Daryl Hall), "Maneater" (with Sara Allen & Daryl Hall), "Out of Touch" (with Daryl Hall), and "Adult Education" (with Daryl Hall & Sara Allen). He also sang lead vocals and has written or co-written a few less popular singles that did not make it to the Billboard's Top 10 such as: "How Does It Feel to Be Back", "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" (which was a remake of the 1965 song performed by The Righteous Brothers and written by Phil Spector, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, on which he shared lead vocals with Hall) and "Possession Obsession" (with Sara Allen & Daryl Hall). In addition to his work with Hall, Oates co-wrote and sang back-up on the song "Electric Blue" by the band Icehouse which was a Billboard Top Ten hit.

Life and career[link]

Oates was born in New York City, New York. He was raised in Philadelphia's suburb of North Wales, Pennsylvania. He was married to Aimee Oates, and his son Tanner was born in 1996.

In 1966 he recorded his first single, "I Need Your Love," with The Masters for Philadelphia-based Crimson Records.^[1] After finishing high school in 1967, John attended Temple University in Philadelphia. It was there that he met Daryl Hall, also a musician and student at Temple, who was already a senior when Oates was a freshman. The two were involved in several college bands, but after forming the duo Hall & Oates, they were signed by Atlantic Records in 1972.^[2] Hall & Oates went on to record 21 albums (to date), which have sold over 80 million units worldwide, making them arguably the most successful duo in pop–rock history. They have scored ten number-one records and over 20 top-40 hits and have toured the world for decades. Their involvement in the original Live Aid concert and the ground-breaking We Are The World charity recording established them further as artists. Their influence on modern pop music has been cited by numerous contemporary bands, including Gym Class Heroes and The Killers, who have credited and acknowledged H&O's considerable contribution to American music.

In 1983 Oates was asked whether he regretted not pursuing his degree in journalism. He replied no and admitted never intending to finish it.^[3]

Despite 30 years as a chart-topping performer and sought-after producer, Oates did not release a solo album until 2002's Phunk Shui.

Oates took part, along with Jamie Cullum, in the song "Greatest Mistake" by Handsome Boy Modeling School. The song appears on the 2004 album White People.

Oates's second solo album, 1000 Miles of Life, was released on August 23, 2008.^[4]

As reported by Billboard, Oates will be starring in an animated series called J.Stache created by Evan Duby at Primary Wave Music Publishing.^[5]

In March 2010, Oates played with indie rock band The Bird and the Bee as a surprise guest. The show was a medley of The Bird and the Bee songs, as well as classic Hall & Oates. The performance was dedicated to H&O bassist T-Bone Wolk who died on February 27, 2010.

Oates now lives with his son and wife in Aspen, Colorado.

Oates came out and played with moe. at the Belly Up Tavern in Aspen on February 3, 2011. Oates also came out and played with Umphrey's Mcgee in Aspen on February 9 and 10, 2011, and again in the early hours of June 5, 2011 at Mountain Jam in Hunter, New York.

On October 1, 2011 Margo Rey charted at #24 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks with the song "Let the Rain", which is co-written by John Oates.^[6]

[edit] Hall & Oates songs featuring John Oates on lead vocal

• “Had I Known You Better Then” from Abandoned Luncheonette
• “Las Vegas Turnaround (The Stewardess Song)” from Abandoned Luncheonette
• “I'm Just A Kid (Don't Make Me Feel Like A Man)” from Abandoned Luncheonette
• “Can't Stop The Music (He Played It Much Too Long)” from War Babies
• “Camellia” from Daryl Hall & John Oates
• “Alone Too Long” from Daryl Hall & John Oates
• “Back Together Again” from Bigger Than Both of Us
• “Crazy Eyes” from Bigger Than Both of Us
• “You'll Never Learn” from Bigger Than Both of Us
• “The Emptyness” from Beauty on a Back Street
• “Portable Radio” from X-Static
• “All You Want Is Heaven” from X-Static
• “Bebop/Drop” from X-Static
• “How Does It Feel To Be Back” from Voices
• “You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'” from Voices
• “Africa” from Voices
• “Mano A Mano” from Private Eyes
• “Italian Girls” from H2O
• “At Tension” from H2O
• “Jingle Bell Rock” from 1983 Christmas single (flip-side featured another version with lead vocals by Daryl Hall)
• “Possession Obsession” from Big Bam Boom
• “Cold Dark And Yesterday” from Big Bam Boom
• "Rockability" from Ooh Yeah!
• "Keep On Pushin' Love" from Ooh Yeah!
• "Change Of Season" from Change of Season
• "Only Love" from Change of Season

Releases[link]

• Phunk Shui (CD that was released multiple times, each adding bonus tracks)
• John Oates: Live At The Historic Wheeler Opera House (DVD and bonus live CD) (2004)
• John Oates Solo - The Album, The Concert (DualDisc: CD side of Phunk Shui (14 track version), DVD side Live at the Historic Wheeler Opera House) (bonus live CD that came with the original above the DVD is not included) (2006)
• 1000 Miles Of Life (2008)
• Mississippi Mile (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official John Oates website
• Official website of Hall & Oates
• John Oates at Allmusic

Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray in 2007
Born	Rachael Domenica Ray (1968-08-25) August 25, 1968 (age 43) Glens Falls, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Television personality, businesswoman, author, celebrity chef[1]
Years active	2001–present
Spouse	John Cusimano (2005–present)
Website
"rachelray.com". http://www.rachaelray.com.

Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day. Ray wrote cookbooks based on the 30 Minute Meals concept, and launched a magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, in 2006. Ray's television shows have won two Daytime Emmy Awards.

Personal life[link]

Ray was born in Glens Falls, New York.^[2][3] Her parents are Elsa Scuderi, an Italian (Sicilian) American, and James Ray, who is of French, Scottish and Welsh descent.^[4] She moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts where her family owned four restaurants. When Ray was 8, her family moved to Lake George, New York. Her mother managed restaurants in upstate New York.^[2]

In 1995 Ray moved to New York City.^[5] One of her first jobs there was at the candy counter at Macy's, where she eventually managed the fresh foods department. She later helped open a New York City market. Moving back to upstate New York, Ray managed Mister Brown's Pub at The Sagamore, a hotel on Lake George. From there, she became a buyer at Cowan & Lobel, a gourmet market in Albany. Ray credits the concept of 30 Minute Meals to her experience working at the store, where she met people who were reluctant to cook. She taught a course in which she showed how to make meals in less than thirty minutes. With the success of her "30 Minute Meals" classes, WRGB (the local CBS TV affiliate) asked her to appear in a weekly segment on their newscasts. This, along with a public radio appearance and the publication of her first book, led to a Today show spot and her first Food Network contract in 2001.

On September 24, 2005, in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, Ray married John Cusimano, an American lawyer and lead singer of the rock band "The Cringe." She owns homes in Lake Luzerne, New York, and Manhattan's Greenwich Village.^[6][7]