John Paul Young

Although best known for his song "Love Is in the Air," which became a worldwide hit in 1978, John Paul Young charted a number of singles in Germany, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Australia during the disco era. Born in Bridgeton, Scotland, on June 21, 1950, he emigrated with his family to Sydney, Australia, at 11 years old. Young starred in a number of musical theater productions during the early 1970s and kickstarted his solo career with 1972's "Pasadena," which climbed to Number 16 on the Australian charts. His debut LP, Hero, followed in 1975 and quickly went gold, propelling the singer to international stardom. "Yesterday's Hero," the record's lead single, peaked at Number 1 in South Africa, Number 8 in Australia, and Number 10 in Sweden. One year later, "I Hate the Music" — the first release from Young's platinum-selling sophomore album, J.P.Y. — became his second chart-topping hit in South Africa. Young enjoyed continued popularity in Australia with "Keep On Smilin'," "Standing in the Rain," "I Wanna Do It With You," and "Where The Action Is," all of which became Top 40 hits throughout 1976 and 1977. That success helped pave the way for "Love Is in the Air," a wildly popular disco staple that cracked the Top 10 in America, Australia, South Africa, Austria, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, and Sweden in 1978. Young updated his sound during the 1980s to include synth-pop and New Wave influences, with "Soldier of Fortune" climbing to Number 17 in Australia. Following a long hiatus from the charts, he scored his final hit in 1992 with a remixed version of "Love Is in the Air," as heard on the Strictly Ballroom soundtrack. He later reunited with the song's co-writer, Harry Vanda, for 2006's In Too Deep.