Today is the birthday of Daryl Hall, born Daryl Hohl in 1949 in Pottstown, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb. As a part of the blue-eyed soul duo Hall & Oates, he was responsible for more pop hits than any other duo in the history of rock 'n' roll. Hall studied voice and piano when he was a kid and ventured into Philadelphia during his teens to sing with doo-wop groups. His first recording was in 1967 as a member of Kenny Gramble and the Romeos. He joined The Temptones later that year and met future singing partner John Oates when the two hid in a freight elevator while a gang fight erupted after a Battle of the Bands show. The duo both attended Temple University, with Hall studying music but dropping out in the middle of his senior year. Hall then formed a soul group called Gulliver, which recorded a self titled album for Elektra in 1969. Oates joined the band sometime after that, but the group soon went their separate ways, with Hall singing back-up for the Delfonics and the Stylistics and Oates traveling a bit in Europe. When Oates returned in 1972, the twosome reunited and signed with Atlantic, releasing the folk-influenced Whole Oates later that year.

1973's Abandoned Luncheonette yielded "She's Gone," a song that Tavares would hit #1 with six months later and Hall & Oates would finally hit #7 with in 1976. After 1974's War Babies failed to yield a hit, Hall & Oates were dropped from Atlantic and picked up by RCA. 1975's Daryl Hall And John Oates contained "Sara Smile," the first in a long line of their songs to hit the top 10. 1976's Bigger Than The Both Of Us was their first platinum LP and spawned "Rich Girl," their first #1 single. That year saw Hall working with Robert Fripp on a solo album entitled Sacred Songs, an album which RCA would not release until 1980 and which contained the future Paul Young hit "Everytime You Go Away."

The late '70s were a slow time for Hall & Oates, but the self-produced Voices brought them back in 1980, with "How Does It Feel To Be Back," 'Kiss On My List," "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" and "You Make My Dreams" all hitting the top 40. 1981's Private Eyes was also a hit, with the title track and "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" both reaching #1. 1982 spawned three more top 10 hits, with "Maneater" reaching the #1 spot. A greatest hits collection followed the next year and 1984's Big Bam Boom introduced a hip-hop influence, with "Out Of Touch" being their last #1 hit. 1984 also found the group being proclaimed the most successful duo in U. S. history by the Recording Industry Association of America, with a total of 19 gold and platinum awards. The next year saw Hall & Oates release a live EP with members of The Temptations, after which the duo went on a three year hiatus. Hall's second solo album, Three Hearts In The Happy Ending Machine, was released in 1986 and yielded the #5 hit "Dreamtime." When Hall & Oates reunited in 1988, they failed to match their previous successes. 1988's Ohh Yeah!, 1990's Change Of Season, this year's Marigold Sky and Hall's 1993 solo album Soul Alone all failed to produce hits or chart significantly.

Other birthdays: Andrew Woolfolk (Earth Wind & Fire), 47, and Scott Johnson (Gin Blossoms), 35.