Music history is filled with fascinating stories. However, Daryl Hall and John Oates, members of the famous duo Hall & Oates, meeting for the first time while hiding from gunfire has to be one of the most unique ones.
Back in 1967, Hall and Oates were both attending Philadelphia’s Temple University and were aspiring musicians. They never met each other until their paths crossed at a band competition. Hall was performing with his group The Temptones while Oates fronted The Masters.
While the band competition was underway, a brawl between two rival gangs took place. It soon turned into chaos, and there was even gunfire at one point. Hall and Oates both took shelter backstage and got in the same elevator that brought them to the street level and safety.
While in the elevator, the two musicians struck up a conversation about neither of them getting to perform before the incident. They discovered that they both attended Temple University and shared similar music interests.
Hall and Oates became friends, even getting an apartment together. They decided to form a musical partnership, teaming up in the duo Hall & Oates and releasing their debut album, Whole Oats, in 1972. The rest is history.
Hall & Oates released 18 studio albums together and sold a total of 80 million records, becoming the most successful duo in music. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.