Air Supply's Graham Russell joins ifaw as Global Ambassador

There are two things in this world I simply could not live without: music and animals.

I find the two things are so fundamentally similar – the beauty in their patterns, their ability to change the world around them and most of all – how much humans impact both. Musically, we have done amazing things – created sound where it didn’t exist before, offer people an escape, put poetry into notes…

With animals, though, our impact is a bit less enlightened. Although we have done a number of great things for animals and the world they inhabit, we have much work to do.

This is why, I’ve partnered with the International Fund for Animal Welfare – together, we’re working to create a world where animals and people thrive.

I’ve had some incredible experiences in my life – just last year I celebrated the 45th anniversary of Air Supply, the band I started in partnership with Russell Hitchcock in 1975. Over the years, we had the honor to play for HRH Prince Charles and HRH Princess Diana, rivaled the Beatles' run of consecutive top five singles, and sold millions of multi-platinum albums. 45 years later, Russell and I are still touring, having just celebrated our 5,000th concert in 2019.

All of those experiences with Air Supply, touring the world and immersing myself in other cultures and parts of the globe contributed to my life-long passion for animals. For about a decade, I operated a wildlife rehabilitation centre in the Western United States focusing on rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing birds of prey. I’ve always been enamored by animals, and have vowed to make the world a better place for them.

I live on 1,200 acres of conservation land and am humbled to share a home with so many other species. I’ve planted acres of alfalfa for the elk who roam along my property, operate a greenhouse to grow food for native species and just the other day, I witnessed a mother deer give birth to a fawn in my back garden. Sharing the Earth and protecting her inhabitants is something we all need to prioritize.

That’s why I’m thrilled to join IFAW as a Global Ambassador with a focus on their rescue work – it’s so near and dear to me. We all have an ability to use the resources we have – whether it’s your voice, your time, your energy – to do some good in this world. It’s never too late to start doing good.

-Graham Russell, IFAW Global Ambassador