Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar, considered a certified rock 'n' roll superstar, is a four-time Grammy winner with six platinum and four gold albums to her credit as well as such hit singles as "I Need a Lover", "Heartbreaker", "Fire and Ice", "Treat Me Right", "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", "Hell Is For Children", "Shadows of the Night", and "Love Is a Battlefield". Benatar is acknowledged as one of the leading female rock vocalists in the industry. She was born in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York, USA, on January 10th 1953, as Patricia Andrzejewski and graduated Lindenhurst High on Long Island in 1971. She married her lead guitarist, Neil "Spider" Geraldo, in 1982, and has two children, Haley and Hana. After many years of producing big budget albums, Neil and Pat have continued to produce albums together, even though they have decided to end their association with major labels. They have chosen instead to place the care of their children above industry demands, and make records at home in their own professional quality studio. Each summer when their girls get out of school for vacation, they all pack up, board a tour bus, and set out to play as many shows as they can fit into the summer months. Pat and Neil maintain a close, and much more personal, relationship with their fans, than they were able to do in 80's during the heights of their commercial success. Listen at Last.fm An Overview of Pat's Musical Career 1977 -- Pat Benatar is discovered by Chrysalis Records’ talent scouts while singing in cabaret at New York's Catch A Rising Star club. She is immediately signed by the label. During this same year, she recruits Neil Giraldo (ex-Derringer), who assembles a backing band for the recording of Benatar's debut album, In The Heat of the Night. 1980 -- In The Heat of the Night reaches #12 on the U.S. charts, with her first single, "Heartbreaker," reaching #23. The album attains multi-platinum status. Two subsequent singles -- the Neil Giraldo- penned, "We Live For Love," and "You Better Run" (a song originally done by The Young Rascals in 1966) -- also escalated up the charts. In August, Benatar released her second album, Crimes of Passion produced by Keith Olsen. Shortly thereafter, the single, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," reaches #9 on the charts, and becomes a million-seller. 1981 -- Crimes of Passion hits #2 early in the year, and Pat is recognized by garnering her first Grammy for the "Best Rock Vocal Performance Female," at the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards in February of that year. This marked the first of four consecutive Grammy's she received for that category. Another single from the album, "Treat Me Right," would reach considerable chart success as well. The album, itself, achieves multi-platinum sales. In August, Precious Time is released, and tops the U.S. charts, becoming her first album to do so. Two singles from the album -- "Fire and Ice" and "Promises In The Dark" -- assist in propelling it to the top. Precious Time exceeds the platinum-sales plateau. 1982 -- In February, Pat marries guitarist/producer/songwriter Neil Giraldo in Maui. In November, she releases her fourth effort, Get Nervous, which was produced by Neil Giraldo (who concentrates on guitar for the album) and Peter Coleman. The single from the album, "Shadows Of The Night," goes top 15, while the album itself peaks at #4 early in January, 1983, and eventually sells over a million copies. It's the fourth consecutive album for Benatar to do so. 1983 -- The singles from Get Nervous -- "Little Too Late" and "Looking For A Stranger" -- are released, while Benatar's first performance album, Live From Earth, is released later in year. Live From Earth is recorded in France and California during Benatar's U.S. and European tours of 1982 and 1983. At the end of the year, the single, "Love Is A Battlefield," aided by the Bob Giraldi-directed video, propels her back to the top of the charts as it hits #5, while Live From Earth makes #13. 1984 -- Pat collects her fourth consecutive Grammy for "Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female" at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards (this time, for "Love Is A Battlefield"). 1985 -- Tropico reaches #14 in the U.S. charts, and spawns the top five single, "We Belong," Hot on the heels of the platinum-selling Tropico, Seven The Hard Way is released in December and receives considerable acclaim, reaching #26 in the U.S. charts. Also included is the top ten single, "Invincible," which was the theme for the Helen Slater-starring film, Legend of Billie Jean. Also in December of '85, Pat participates in the recording of "Sun City" for Artists United Against Apartheid, which comprised a total of 50 artists. 1986 -- The singles from "Seven The Hard Way" -- "Sex As A Weapon" and "Le Bel Age" -- are both released early in year, reaching #28 and #54, respectively, in the singles charts. 1987 -- Pat releases the first compilation album of her career entitled, "Best Shots", in the U.K., where it becomes her best-selling album in the United Kingdom. It will reach #6 on the U.K. charts. 1988 -- "Wide Awake in Dreamland" reaches #28, while the single, "All Fired Up," hits #19. The album reaches gold status. 1989 -- Best Shots released in the United States, representing Benatar's music to this date. Best Shots attains gold status as well. 1990 -- Pat records the Charles Brown seasonal standard, "Please Come Home For Christmas," for the coalition troops serving in the Gulf War. 1991 -- Pat releases her critically-acclaimed blues-oriented album, True Love, with the first single released being B.B. King's, "Payin' The Cost To Be The Boss." The album attains gold status, marking Benatar's fourth release to do so. 1993 -- Gravity's Rainbow -- which is produced by Neil Giraldo and Don Gehman (of R.E.M. and John Mellencamp fame) -- is released. All songs from the release are written or co-written by Giraldo as well. From the dub echoes of "Everybody Lay Down," to the shuffling bar blues of "Crazy" (featuring Giraldo's Hendrix-influenced Wah-Wah guitar), Pat continued to redefine her sound in a 90's context. 1994 -- "All Fired Up: The Very Best of Pat Benatar" is released as a two-CD set. The compilation set features an array of Benatar hits, including those from her most recent albums. 1995 -- First major tour in five years to occur over the summer with REO Speedwagon and Fleetwood Mac. Prior to this U.S. trek, Pat takes her band to Japan and Australia, where she performed in front of enthusiastic, sold-out crowds that anxiously await her forthcoming projects. The response to not only her well-known hits, but her new material as well, inspire Pat to gear up for an upcoming release. 1996 -- 1995's enthusiasm for touring spilled over into 1996, finding Pat and Band on a major summer tour with the Steve Miller Band. She continued to hit us with some of her best shots as well as refining some of her new material in a live setting. New songs such as "River of Love" and "Only You" were received with as much audience enthusiasm as the "hits". 1997 -- Pat signed with a new record company, CMC International, early in the year. Her first original album in four years, Innamorata, was released as Pat began a summer tour with Styx. The summer tour was quickly followed by a fall solo club tour further promoting the album. The more intimate setting is appreciated by the audience as a chance to get closer to the music and the artist. 1998 -- 8-15-80, an album of live recordings from the Old Waldorf in San Francisco, was released. 1999 -- Pat and Neil dug into their collection of private material to compile Synchronistic Wanderings, a 3 CD collection spanning their entire career and including previously unreleased live recordings and outtakes. Pat and Neil completed their 20th Anniversary Tour of the US this year. 2001 -- Christmas in America was released during the 2001 holiday season. 2002 -- In the summer of this year, Pat and Neil released their "Summer Vacation Live" CD sound track and "Summer Vacation Live" DVD, which included an innovative digital video tourbook. The DVD captured a 90 minute concert filmed at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, CA which debuted four new songs. 2003 -- After 5 years in the making, a new album of original material, Go, was released at the end of the summer tour under the Bel Chiasso label. 2004 -- Pat and Neil have toured every year since 1995, doing what they like to do best: performing rock and roll music. Pat has found a unique balance between family and career. Twenty five years after starting her career, Pat and the band plan to continue performing.