JOHN PAUL YOUNG, THE AUSTRALIAN LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Today, The Grandma has been reading about John Paul Young, the Australian singer who was born on a day like today in 1950.
 

John Inglis Young (born 21 June 1950), known professionally as John Paul Young, is an Australian pop singer who had his 1978 worldwide hit with Love Is in the Air. His career was boosted by regular appearances as a performer and guest host on Countdown, a 1974–1987 TV series for Australia's national broadcaster ABC.

Besides Love Is in the Air, Young had top ten chart success in Germany and the Netherlands with Standing in the Rain and four other top ten hits in South Africa, including No. 1 hits with I Hate the Music in 1976 and Yesterday's Hero in 1975.

On 27 August 2009, Young was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame.

Young was born John Inglis Young in Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland to James and Agnes (nee Inglis) Young. Together with his parents, two sisters and a brother, Young emigrated to Australia on board the SS Canberra, arriving in Sydney on Australia Day (26 January) 1962 when he was aged 11.

After finishing school, he started an apprenticeship as a sheet metal worker. Initially performing as John Young, his first involvement in music began in late 1967 when he formed a band, Elm Tree, with schoolmates.

In mid-1971 they entered the New South Wales heats of Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds and got as far as the Sydney finals, but they didn't make it through to the national final, and so never managed to break out of the Sydney suburban dance circuit.

At this point, Young's manager Dal Myles got him a role in the Melbourne production of The Jesus Christ Revolution. The show opened and closed in six weeks.

In February 1975, Young released Yesterday's Hero, a song about the fleeting nature of pop stardom which drew on Vanda & Young's own experiences as former teen idols.

Young's debut studio album, Hero was released in October 1975 and peaked at No. 9 on the Australian Album charts.

Late in 1977, the European markets began playing Standing in the Rain, the B-Side for the song Keep on Smilin'. The song became a top 10 hit in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany selling over 400,000 copies.

Young's next single, Love Is in the Air, became a worldwide hit during 1978, peaking at No. 3 on the Australian charts in May, No. 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100, and No. 5 in the UK singles chart.

More information: New Idea

The associated album, Love Is in the Air was released in October and reached the top 40 on the Australian albums chart. Subsequent singles, The Day That My Heart Caught Fire which peaked in the top 20, and Heaven Sent continued the disco style. Young was crowned King of Pop in October 1978.

Love Is in the Air also won Most Popular Australian Single and Vanda & Young won both Best Australian Record Producer and Best Australian Songwriter at the same awards.

In 1992, an Australian comedy film titled Strictly Ballroom was released. The film and associated soundtrack featured new versions of Love Is in the Air and Standing in the Rain, both of which were released as singles. Love Is in the Air peaked at No. 3 on the Australian Singles Charts and was a top 50 hit in the UK.

In 1994 Young left 105.3 NEWFM in Newcastle and joined 2CH in Sydney, which only lasted six months.

On 4 November 1994, Young became a naturalised Australian citizen and received his papers from then Prime Minister, Paul Keating.

In 2000, he played to his largest audience as a featured performer at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics.

On 27 August 2009, Young was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame alongside Kev Carmody, The Dingoes, Little Pattie and Mental As Anything.

In 2012, Young was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the performing arts as a singer and songwriter, and through support for a range of charitable organisations.

During the 1980s, Young's 1978 hit Love is in the Air was adopted by fans of Scottish Premier League football team Dundee United as an unofficial club anthem. Played since then at many home matches, it was sung in its entirety by an estimated 28,000 fans before and after the 2010 Scottish Cup Final held on 15 May at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

More information: John Paul Young

Love is in the air, everywhere I look around
Love is in the air, every sight and every sound

Love is in the air, in the whisper of the tree
Love is in the air, in the thunder of the sea

Love is in the air, in the rising of the sun
Love is in the air, when the day is nearly done

Love is in the air, everywhere I look around
Love is in the air, every sight and every sound

John Paul Young