The year was 1980, when Australian musicians Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, also known as Air Supply, released their single, “Lost in Love,” which became the fasted selling single in the world and was also named Song of the Year. The legendary duo will perform Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Courtyard Marriot’s King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona.
The performance will showcase over three decades of hits from their mega-selling albums including, “The One That You Love,” “Now & Forever,” “Lost in Love” and “The Greatest Hits,” which have sold over 20 million copies.
Russell and Hitchcock met in 1975, during rehearsals for “Jesus Christ Superstar” in Sydney, and bonded over their common love for singing and their admiration for The Beatles. They started playing together in clubs and became known for their harmonies and original tunes.
“I really became interested in music when my sister bought a record player and I got to listen to her 12-inch-long play records,” said Russell Hitchcock, lead singer for Air Supply. “Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett were among the great voices that I was exposed to. It wasn’t until I was in high school that music really became important to me when one of my good friends handed me a single recording. He said, ‘You have to listen to this, it’s a new band called The Beatles.’ I was amazed at the raw, exciting sound, the vocals, everything. I was hooked!”
In 1964, Hitchcock’s cousin gave him tickets to see The Beatle’s perform in Melbourne.
“They played six songs I think, and of course I could barely hear them above the screaming thousands that attended the concert. From that moment forward, I lived and breathed The Beatles, and to this day I believe that they are the greatest band that has ever existed.”
The other half of the duo, Graham Russell, had a similar experience after seeing the Beatles perform live.
“Something happened in 1964 that changed my life forever,” said Russell. “I saw The Beatles live at the Odeon cinema in Nottingham. After this nothing would ever be the same, the electricity in the air was something I would never forget, and have not seen or felt since. It was this experience that told me to keep writing songs and that I wasn’t crazy.”
Fans continue to appreciate this duo that was brought together through their love of music, and who continue to supply their talent to audiences as the legendary band, Air Supply.
The concert starts at 7 p.m. and is for adults age 21 and older. Tickets start at $59 and can be purchased at the hotel front desk, CD Wizard, and Oshima Surf and Skate stores or online at www.tmrevents.net.