Walk of Fame Without Hall & Oates? No Can Do

Hall and Oates formed their partnership in 1972 following a chance meeting in an elevator and went on to record 21 albums

Rock's top-selling duo Daryl Hall and John Oates were honored Friday with the 2,587th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Their star is in the 6700 block of Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Musicians Institute. The ceremony included a surprise horn honk salute from a passing truck during Hall's speech.

"Rock on, man," Hall said. "I love Hollywood  Boulevard."

Longtime music executive Jerry Greenberg was the event's guest speaker.

"I want to thank the Hollywood Hall of Fame for picking a spot on the Boulevard for these guys instead of putting them on a side street," Greenberg siad. "This is where they belong."

Hall was born in Pennsylvania and Oates was born in New York before his family moved to Philadelphia, where the two met in the late 1960s. Hall's band, the Temptones, and Oates' band called the Masters weres scheduled to perform at a ballroom in Philadelphia when a fight broke out. In a 2009 NRP profile, they explain how they both ran for the same elevator in a chance meeting that led to the musical partnership built on a mutual love of soul music.

They formed their partnership in 1972, going on to record 21 albums, which have sold more than 80 million copies. They came to Southern California in the early 1970s and signed their first record contract.

"LA has a real special place in my memories," Oates said. "We recorded three albums out here in the mid-70s and it's always been a blast to come out here."

They were recognized as rock's all-time top selling duo in 1987 by the music industry trade organization the Recording Industry Association of America, a distinction they still hold.

From the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, they had six No. 1 singles -- "Rich Girl," "Kiss on My List," "Private Eyes," "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)," "Maneater" and "Out of Touch."

Hall also wrote "Everytime You Go Away," which Paul Young made a No. 1 hit in 1985.

Hall and Oates were among the artists performing on "We Are the World" and closed the Philadelphia portion of Live Aid, both in 1985. They were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and the American Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.

Since 2007, Hall has hosted the monthly web series and MTV Live show "Live From Daryl's House," which stemmed from his idea of "playing with my friends and putting it up on the internet." He mentioned his love for the early days of television at Friday's Walk of Fame ceremony.

"The pioneers of television are represented here," Hall said, looking around at the surrounding Walk stars. "I feel like, wow, I'm part of this. This is a bit of a surprise."

Oates released his latest solo project in 2014, "Good Road to Follow," a three-disc set of genre-specific extended play albums.

"We are proud to welcome Daryl Hall & John Oates to the world-famous Walk of Fame," said Hollywood Chamber President-CEO Leron Gubler. "Fans from all over the world are excited to know that these two great music influencers will be immortalized in history with a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame."

They're currently on tour with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. 

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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