Air Supply will perform at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Saturday, Aug. 3.
The trademark sound of Russell Hitchcock’s tenor voice and Graham Russell’s songs have created a unique sound over nearly four decades that will be always be recognized as Air Supply.
Hitchcock and Russell met on May 12, 1975, the first day of rehearsals for Jesus Christ Superstar in Sydney, Australia. They became instant friends with their common love for The Beatles and singing. It wasn’t long before they were signed to CBS Records in Australia, had a number one record on the national charts and were opening for Rod Stewart across Australia, the U.S. and Canada.
Back in Australia, their album “Life Support” produced “Lost in Love,” which was a Top 10 hit there and somehow found its way to music industry executive Clive Davis in New York. Davis immediately signed Air Supply to Arista Records and in 1980, “Lost in Love” became the fastest selling single in the world.
The second single was “All Out of Love,” and that went up the charts even more quickly.
The albums “Lost in Love,” “The One That You Love,” “Now & Forever,” and “The Greatest Hits,” powered by songs such as “Every Woman In The World,” “The One That You Love,” and “Here I Am” sold in excess of 20 million copies. “Lost in Love” was named Song of the Year in 1980, and, with the other singles, sold more than 10 million copies.
But it is their live shows that always hold audiences captive around the world. Air Supply began to tour with big productions in places that no one had been before. They were the first Western group to tour China, Taiwan, and countless other countries that before would not allow pop music across their borders. They became well known across Asia and South America.
In 1988, Air Supply was asked to participate in Australia’s bicentennial celebration, and to play for Prince Charles and Princess Diana where they learned both were already fans. This engagement would be one of their most treasured moments in their career.
In July 2005, their live DVD, “It Was 30 Years Ago Today” celebrated 30 years of success around the world and in that same month, Air Supply smashed attendance records when they played to 175,000 people at one show in Cuba.
2005 also saw the release of “The Singer and the Song,” an acoustic album containing many of their big hits which received critical acclaim. In May 2010, Mumbo Jumbo – the duo’s first studio recording in eight years – was released. The duo recently released a DVD & CD recording live in Israel and they are currently working on a new EP with dance track led by the song “Desert Sea Sky.”
Thirty-eight years after its formation, Air Supply continues to perform more than 150 show dates a year worldwide. For more information, visit: www.airsupplymusic.com.
The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $44.50 and $29.50 plus applicable service charges and are available now online at www.ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or at the Westbury box office. Event, date and time are subject to change. For more information, visit: www.thetheatreatwestbury.com.
