- A 1970s popstar John Paul Young was headline act at Sydney gay marriage rally
- He sung 1978 chart topper Love Is In The Air to young crowd on Oxford Street
- Most of the audience wasn’t even born when his song had movie revival in 1992
Crooner John Paul Young whose career peaked in the 1970s was the headline act at a gay marriage rally in Sydney.
The 67-year-old former popstar was in fine form on Sunday as he sung his 1978 chart topper Love Is In The Air at Sydney’s gay Oxford Street district.
However most of the crowd at Taylor Square in Darlinghurst weren’t even born when the Scottish-born singer’s love anthem was a worldwide hit.
There was plenty of love in the air as John Paul Young performed at a Sydney gay marriage rally
In fact, most of them weren’t even born when it had a revival on the Australian music charts in 1992 as the theme song for the Australian blockbuster movie Strictly Ballroom, directed by Baz Luhrmann.
That didn’t stop them from bopping along and blowing bubbles as he performed on stage outside the Supreme Court building as part of the Post Your Yes Vote Street Party.
Young, who also had a hit in 1975 with Yesterday’s Hero, was the headline act under overcast skies and rainbow flags, after Rick-Lee Coulter took to the stage.
He certainly had more attention than seven far-right Party for Freedom activists holding ‘Straight Pride’ signs placards on the edge of the same-sex marriage rally, which attracted several hundred people on Sunday afternoon.
John Paul Young was looking out for every sight and every sound on Sydney’s Oxford Street
Most of the crowd weren’t even born when John Paul Young topped Australian music charts
If the opinion polls are to be believed, the ‘Yes’ case for gay marriage is set to win over a majority of Australians in the same-sex marriage postal vote survey, from all generations.
Meanwhile, the Coalition for Marriage representing the ‘No’ side held a Family Festival at Fairfield Showgrounds, in south-west Sydney, on Sunday to champion traditional marriage.
Both sides of the debate are holding rallies as part of the $122 million survey, in which voters will have until November 7 to return their postal ballots.
Singer Ricki-Lee Coulter was much closer in age to the gay marriage street party in Sydney
Gay marriage supporters hold ‘Yes Equality’ signs as they listen to Ricki-Lee Coulter perform