Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar
Benatar performing in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Patricia Mae Andrzejewski
Born	(1953-01-10) January 10, 1953 (age 71) New York City, U.S.
Genres	Rock hard rock pop rock
Occupations	Musician songwriter
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1972–present
Labels	Chrysalis CMC International Bel Chiasso
Spouses	Dennis Benatar ​ ​ (m. 1972; div. 1979)​ Neil Giraldo ​ (m. 1982)​
Children	2
Website	benatargiraldo.com

Patricia Mae Giraldo (née Andrzejewski; formerly and still professionally Benatar; born January 10, 1953) is an American singer and songwriter. In the United States, she has two multi-platinum albums, five platinum albums, and 15 US Billboard top 40 singles,^[1] while in Canada she had eight straight platinum albums, and she has sold over 36 million albums worldwide.^[2] She is also a four-time Grammy Award winner. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022.

Benatar's 1979 debut album, In the Heat of the Night, was her breakthrough in North America, especially in Canada where it reached No. 3 on the album chart. Two hit singles from the album were released: "Heartbreaker" and "We Live for Love", the latter written by her lead guitarist and future husband, Neil Giraldo. Her second album, 1980's Crimes of Passion, was her most successful work, peaking at No. 2 in North America and France, being certified 4× and 5× platinum in the US and Canada, respectively. The single "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" reached the top 10 in the US and Canada and is considered to be her signature song. Her third album, Precious Time (1981), was another success, topping the US Album Chart and becoming her first top 10 album in Australia. Its single "Fire and Ice" charted highly in the US and Canada. Her next release, Get Nervous (1982), sold less well than her previous two albums, but did include the North American hit "Shadows of the Night".

In 1983, Benatar's sound began to move towards more atmospheric pop. The single "Love Is a Battlefield" (1983) was her biggest hit in most countries, reaching No. 1 in the Netherlands, Australia and on the US Rock Tracks chart, and No. 5 on the US Hot 100. The live album it came from, Live from Earth, was her biggest seller in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands. In 1984, she released Tropico and its lead single "We Belong", which reached the top 10 in several countries, including No. 5 on the US Hot 100.

Benatar's 1985 album, Seven the Hard Way, sold less well, but it yielded two singles harking back to the rock vein: "Invincible", a top 10 hit in North America, and "Sex as a Weapon". Her follow-up, Wide Awake in Dreamland (1988), marked a resurgence in sales in Canada and Australia, and was her biggest hit in the UK. Its rocker, "All Fired Up", was a significant hit in Canada, Australia and the US. She released four additional albums between 1991 and 2003.