Daryl Hall believes that he blazed a trail for modern artists.
The 78-year-old singer found fame as the lead vocalist in duo Hall and Oates – alongside John Oates – during the 1970s and 1980s and considers himself a “pioneer” for helping to destroy racial barriers in music.
Daryl told Classic Pop magazine: “I was one of those pioneers in breaking down those barriers between Black music and white music, whatever that means.
“My earliest success was on Black radio in America. I had to break into the white pop world in America. That was secondary, after the fact. So that’s where my roots are. That’s where my initial success started.”
The ‘Maneater’ vocalist added: “I think it had a lot to do with me as a singer and my background.
“Being from Philly, a very colourblind area, helped me be able to break those barriers down. Luckily, I figured out how to do it.”
Daryl is now performing solo as he finds himself embroiled in an legal battle with John after he sued his musical partner in 2023 to prevent him from selling their stake in publishing company Whole Oats Enterprises and admits that he feels less constrained playing alone.
He explained: “I really was restricted. When I was (performing) with John on stage, we had this rule that we couldn’t play any other work than what we did under the Hall and Oates name.
“And it was very restrictive to me, because I love all those solo songs – I wrote most of them – but there was a lot that I had been doing over the years that I couldn’t play. I had no outlet.
“So now, I’m completely liberated and it’s much more fun.”
Daryl also believes that his soulful singing voice has gotten better with age.
The ‘Private Eyes’ hitmaker explained: “Well, with age and maturity, my voice has mellowed and kind of opened up in a way. I had maybe more high note facility as a young guy. You know, I could sing into the stratosphere. Now, I’ve lost a little of that, but I’ve gained other things.
“I’m basically a soul singer, and I think my voice is more appropriate sounding to my emotions and my soulful thing than it used to be when I was a young kid.
“So, it came from wisdom and experience. And a few whiskeys, too.”