June 24, 2026
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Daryl Hall is hoping to perform again in a few months. The Hall & Oates frontman recently underwent kidney transplant surgery, he says.
A few weeks ago, Daryl Hall received a kidney from a "very kind and generous living donor," the Hall & Oates co-founder shared Tuesday. His doctors have indicated the transplant was a success, he said, and he hopes to be playing and making music again in a few months.
The Pottstown native's surgery reflects a growing trend in kidney transplants, and organ transplants more broadly. Though the majority of donations still come from deceased individuals, living organ donations are on the rise.
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This shift appears in data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, the governing body of all organ procurement organizations in America. A total of 7,237 living people donated organs last year, a 3% growth over the previous year and the highest post-pandemic number recorded; the OPTN reported 7,397 live organ donors in 2019.
By contrast, there were 16,553 deceased donors in 2025 and 11,870 in 2019.
The upward trend in live donors is also reflected among kidney transplants specifically. Last year, 6,522 living people donated their kidneys, up from 6,419 donors in 2024 and 6,290 people in 2023. These figures were also at their highest since before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, 6,867 living donors gave away kidneys.
Kidneys are the most needed and most commonly transplanted organ in the United States. Patients generally must be experiencing late-stage chronic kidney disease to qualify for the surgery, and either be on dialysis or nearing the need for it, per Penn Medicine.
A candidate proceeds to operation once they receive a match from a donation waiting list, which can take 5-8 years or longer, or identify a living donor with a compatible blood type. A care team will run diagnostic tests to ensure the candidate is healthy enough for the procedure, which is performed under general anesthesia. Doctors do not generally remove the failing kidney unless it is causing complications.
To reduce the risk of the patient's body rejecting the new kidney, medical providers prescribe immunosuppressants. While they prevent the immune system from attacking the organ, they also make people more susceptible to disease and infection. Recovery time averages about six weeks, according to the Cleveland Clinic, but can run longer depending on individual health profiles or complications.
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