In the midst of a bitter legal battle, John Oates expressed his gratitude for his years working alongside his music partner, Daryl Hall. In an interview with ET, Oates, now 75, shared that he has an immense amount of respect for Hall and is grateful for the success they achieved together over their 50-year career. He acknowledged that their music will live on forever. However, Oates also made it clear that he has moved on from the group and is not a nostalgic person. He stated that he has other things he is currently focused on.

The feud between the Hall & Oates duo began when Hall accused Oates of ambushing him with plans to sell his half of their company, Whole Oats Enterprises, LLP, to Primary Wave, a well-known music publishing company. Hall filed a lawsuit against Oates' trust in Nashville on November 16, claiming that Oates' recent actions have caused harm and difficulty in his life. Hall expressed his desire to put an end to Oates' alleged wrongdoing and malicious conduct once and for all. Oates, however, performed on the hit show "The Masked Singer" as the Anteater, even amidst the ongoing legal battle.

Despite their differences, Oates revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he hasn't ruled out the possibility of performing with Hall again. He mentioned that he is focused on leading the best life he can and moving forward. Hall, on the other hand, stated last year that he had no plans to work with Oates and that he is more interested in pursuing his own endeavors.

Hall and Oates met while studying at Temple University in Philadelphia and released their debut album, "Whole Oats," in 1972. They are best known for hits like “Maneater” and "Rich Girl." The duo was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

In the midst of the legal battle, Oates appeared on "The Masked Singer" as the Anteater. Despite the clue relating to his hit song "Maneater," none of the panelists were able to correctly guess his identity. Oates mentioned that he initially didn't like the costume but was convinced by the show's producers to go along with it. He expressed his willingness to try new things.

Oates seemed to be in good spirits on the program, despite the ongoing lawsuit. When asked about the possibility of performing with Hall again, Oates remained open to the idea. Meanwhile, Hall accused Oates of timing an unauthorized transaction to cause the most harm to him. He claimed that Oates' behavior has become adversarial and aggressive, and he accused Oates of burdening and harassing him without considering their shared interests.

Hall was granted a temporary restraining order against Oates, which took effect on November 30. Despite the legal dispute, both musicians have continued to pursue their individual music projects. Hall has performed some of their biggest hits at shows, while Oates plans to release new music, including a new single called "Get Your Smile On," which he recorded at home during the pandemic. The proceeds from the downloads of the song will go to Teen Cancer America.

In conclusion, even though the legal battle between Hall and Oates continues, Oates remains grateful for the success they achieved together. Both musicians have expressed their intent to focus on their separate paths, but Oates has not ruled out the possibility of performing with Hall again in the future.