KWXY Presents ● The Music of Air Supply

Air Supply / Publicity Photo - Giant Records / Photographer Credit: Michael Wilson

Air Supply is a soft rock group, mainly consisting of English singer-songwriter and guitarist Graham Russell and Australian lead vocalist Russell Hitchcock. Russell and Hitchcock met in 1975 in Sydney, Australia while performing in an Australian production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

Instantly, Russell and Hitchcock became good friends and with a common interest in music and singing. Each night after their performances, the duo would play in pizza parlors, coffee shops and night clubs with nothing but a guitar and two voices. Their reputation for great harmonies and original songwriting traveled quickly and soon the duo made a demo cassette tape of two songs, “Love and Other Bruises” and “If You Knew Me”. Russell and Hitchcock took their demo to every record company’s doorstep in Australia and was met with disappointment. That was only until CBS Records, who admired the duo’s unique style gave them a break.

The demo which later became their first single was released in November of 1976 exploded across the Australian Kent Music Report like pressurized air, peaking at number 6. Immediately, the duo landed the opening act for Rod Stewart in Australia, Canada, and the U.S. while gathering up fans along the way. Unfortunately, breaking into the U.S. market remained a challenge. That would all change when their soft rock ballads wafted across the desk of music industry executive of Arista records, Clive Davis.

Meanwhile, back in Australia, the duo was recording their first full length album entitled, Life Support which included the hit “Lost in Love”. Davis signed the duo, breathing life into Air Supply as the single “Lost in Love” became the quickest selling single in the world, and topping every music chart internationally. Air Supply’s second single “All out of Love” sold faster and cresting the music charts more so than their first hit single. “Lost in Love” was named song of the year in 1980.

If it wasn’t Air Supply’s rich vocal range and epic songwriting that moved fans, it was their live shows that would entangle captive audiences in an intoxicating hold of sheer enjoyment. The duo broke walls and shattered borders being the first Western group to tour China and parts of the world where pop music was not welcomed.

By 1986 Air Supply was an unstoppable force as the groups influence on music filled the radio waves. In 1989, the duo recorded the album “The Earth Is”, selling over a million copies outside the U.S. The album to follow “The Vanishing Race” which included singles “Goodbye” and “It’s Never Too Late” were met with multi-platinum status.

In 2005, the duo celebrated their 30th anniversary with a live DVD entitled “It Was 30 Years Ago Today”. In the same year, the duo crushed attendance records at a show in Cuba consisting of 175,000 audience members. Also, that year, they released an acoustic album containing some of their biggest hits, simply named “The Singer and the Song” which also received mass acclaim.

In 2010, and after 8 long years, the duo released “Mumbo Jumbo”. The album was produced by Russell and engineered by Sean O’Dwyer, who is accredited for working with Pink Floyd and Blink-182. In the weeks to follow, Graham Russell was honored with a BMI-Million-Air.

In February 2018, it was announced that a jukebox musical based on Air Supply's songs was in production in the Philippines. Created and produced by Naomi Toohey and Dale Harrison, and written by Canadian playwright Jim Millan. All Out of Love: The Musical made its premiere at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila on October 18, 2018. The musical featured a new song titled "I Was in Love with You", written by Graham Russell.

After almost 5 decades, the duo continues to perform live, and in 2020, Air Supply was listed in Rolling Stone Australia's "50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time".

KWXY Presents ● “The Music of Air Supply” today at 5pm hosted by Louie Comella, on KWXY Music Radio 92.3FM ● 1340AM ● streaming at kwxy.com and ivoxradio.com