Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar

Who Is Pat Benatar?

Pat Benatar is a celebrated American singer-songwriter known for her powerful voice and trailblazing role in the rock music genre. After divorcing her high school sweetheart, she navigated the New York club scene where she met her future husband and guitarist, Neil Giraldo. Benatar rose to prominence in the 1980s with the release of her second album, Crimes of Passion, featuring iconic hits like “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.”

Early Life

Born Patricia Mae Andrzejewski on January 10, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York, Benatar grew up in Lindenhurst, Long Island. Her mother, Millie, a trained opera singer, significantly influenced her early passion for music. A standout in her high school’s musical department, Benatar was accepted into the prestigious Juilliard School as a senior.

However, following her mother’s path, she opted for domestic life and married her high school boyfriend, Dennis Benatar, in 1971. The couple moved to Virginia, where Dennis was stationed as a soldier. Yet, the role of a housewife and bank teller did not fulfill her aspirations. When the opportunity arose to join a local cabaret band in Richmond, she seized it. Her role as the lead singer significantly boosted the band’s popularity, reigniting her ambition to pursue a career in music.

After her divorce, Benatar returned to New York, where she immersed herself in the club scene, performing songs she believed would resonate with audiences. Her talent caught the attention of a producer from Chrysalis Records at a performance in Manhattan’s Catch a Rising Star, leading to a record deal. Despite her initial hesitation about continuing her current path, Benatar had a vision for her music.

“My dream was to be the singer in a rockin’ band, like Robert Plant was to Led Zeppelin or Lou Gramm to Foreigner,” she expressed in her 2010 memoir, Between a Rock and a Hard Place. “I wanted a partnership, like Mick Jagger and Keith Richards had, an unrelenting back-and-forth between talented musicians. The sound I heard in my head was raucous, with hard-driving guitars speeding everything forward. I was a classically trained singer with a great deal of musical knowledge, but I had no idea how to make that visceral, intense sound happen. I had to evolve, but I didn’t know how to make that evolution happen.”

Career Highlights: “Heartbreaker” and “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”

Benatar’s career took a significant turn when she met Neil Giraldo, a dynamic guitarist who provided the sound she had long sought. With Giraldo’s support, she released her debut album, In the Heat of the Night, in 1979. The album achieved remarkable success, featuring hit singles like “Heartbreaker” and “I Need a Lover.”

The following year, Benatar solidified her status as rock’s premier female vocalist with the release of Crimes of Passion. This album included three major singles: “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Treat Me Right,” and “You Better Run,” and it quickly went platinum. Throughout the 1980s, Benatar’s career flourished with additional albums and popular singles such as “Love is a Battlefield” and “We Belong,” which garnered extensive airplay on MTV.

However, her iconic status in the 1980s did not seamlessly carry into the 1990s. While she continued to create music, releasing albums like Gravity’s Rainbow (1993) and Innamorata (1997), she faced challenges in achieving the same level of success as earlier in her career.

Balancing her professional pursuits with family life, Benatar married Neil Giraldo in 1982. Together, they have two daughters, Haley and Hana, and maintain a strong partnership both on and off stage.

In recent years, Benatar has embraced the nostalgia for the 1980s and continues to perform live. In 2009, she toured alongside fellow rock pioneer Debbie Harry, further celebrating their contributions to music.

Throughout her career, Benatar has achieved significant milestones, including 10 platinum albums, eight No. 1 singles, and four Grammy Awards, solidifying her legacy as a pioneering figure in rock music.