Air Supply at the Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center -- May 13.
Friday, May 13, 8 p.m.
Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center, 7077 Elmore Avenue, Davenport IA
The trademark tenor of Russell Hitchcock's soaring voice and Graham Russell's simple yet majestic songs created a unique sound that would forever be known as Air Supply, and on May 13, the band's co-founders will play an eagerly anticipated concert event at Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center, their collection of iconic, adored hits including such pop staples as "All Out of Love," "Making Love Out of Nothing at All," and "Every Woman in the World."
Hitchcock and Russell met in May of 1975 while performing alongside Chrissie Hammond in an Australian production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar. With Hitchcock and Hammond on vocals and Russell on guitar, they originated a harmony vocal group in Melbourne while the show was still playing, and after Hammond left the group to form Cheeta, she was replaced by bassist/vocalist Jeremy Paul, and he, Hitchcock, and Russell officially formed Air Supply. The group's first single "Love and Other Bruises" was released in November of 1976 and peaked at number six on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart the following January, and was followed by the group's self-titled debut album that December, which reached number 17 on the Kent Music chart and achieved gold status in Australia.
After several years of international touring, Air Supply's Lost in Love debuted in 1979 and went on to produce three U.S. top-five singles: the title track that peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100; number-five hit "Every Woman in the World"; and number-two smash "All Out of Love." The latter two singles were also top-10 hits in Australia, with "All Out of Love" going on to reach number 17 in the Netherlands and and number 11 on the United Kingdom Singles Chart. Lost in Love eventually sold three million copies in the U.S. and peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200, and 1982's Now & Forever continued the group's popularity with the top-five hit "Even the Nights Are Better" the top-40 singles "Young Love" and "Two Less Lonely People in the World."
Over the 40 years since, with Hitchcock and Russell continuing to tour as Air Supply, the band released more than two dozen addition studio, live, and compilation albums, and their live shows continue to captivate audiences around the world, being the first Western group to tour China, Taiwan, and other countries that didn't previously allow pop music across their borders. The Australian Recording Industry Association, meanwhile, inducted Air Supply into their Hall of Fame at the annual ARIA Awards in December of 2013, and in 2020, the soft-rock outfit was listed at number 48 in Rolling Stone Australia's "50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time" edition.
The musicians of Air Supply bring their national tour to Davenport on May 13, admission to the 8 p.m. concert event is $40-70, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)328-8000 and visiting RhythmCityCasino.com.
