The path to fame, for most, consists of steep inclines, abrupt drops, marked twists and forks. Those who successfully traverse the course have employed guile, have ceaselessly toiled and likely encountered a helping hand along the way. And so is the case for rock icons, Pat Benatar and her guitarist and husband, Neil Giraldo, who encountered one another while maneuvering the aforementioned path. Pat was born in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn...the northernmost parcel in the borough. At the age of three, her parents relocated the family to Lindenhurst...a town located on the southern shores of central Long Island. Her enthusiasm for singing and performing was already in full bloom while attending elementary school. Once eligible for the fourth-grade choir, Pat dazzled the auditioner. Her passion for music grew exponentially. She starred as Queen Guinevere in a Lindenhurst High School production of “Camelot.” Perhaps it was Guinevere’s love of Lancelot despite her marriage to King Arthur that served as the catalyst for a career fill with songs depicting unrequited and embattled love. Benatar planned to attend the Juilliard School, situated within the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Instead, Pat opted to attend Stony Brook...a State Of New York university located northwest of her Lindenhurst, Long Island home. While attending school, at the age of 19, she married long-time boyfriend, Dennis Benatar, whose military responsibilities eventually brought the couple to Virginia. Pat was employed as a teller in a Richmond bank while Dennis completed his junior enlistment. Pat tired of the tedium of bank transactions and began singing for a local bar band in 1973. Attending a Liza Minnelli concert at the Richmond Coliseum...stirred by the lights, the glitz and the performance, Benatar became convinced that she was capable of performing in front of a large audience. Working alongside Phil Coxon in Coxon’s Army, Pat’s path brought her in contact with bassist, Roger Capps. The band performed regularly at Sam Miller’s Exchange Café in Richmond and Capps ultimately became her band’s regular guitarist on their first five albums. [caption id="attachment_341325" align="alignright" width="300"]
Photo provided.[/caption] A spectacular performance on Amateur Night at the famed “Catch a Rising Star” night club in New York attracted the attention of club founder and owner, Rick Newman. The club proved to be an assembly line for those destined to stardom...among them are Robin Williams, David Letterman, Billy Crystal, Jerry Seinfeld, Rosie O’Donnell, Ellen DeGeneres, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler...the list is absurdly lengthy and imposing. Pat went on to perform at the club for three years. Rick Newman went on to initially manage the band. 1978 was bittersweet for the upcoming vocalist as her talents yielded a contract with Chrysalis Records, but marked the end of her marriage to Dennis. Pat began to burgeon and evolve. She sought material that exposed her toughness...that revealed a no-nonsense New York woman that refused to be inferior and submissive. It was that message...that mindset that tipped the male-dominated rock world over on its side. The merger of a first-class, mezzo-soprano voice and a stunning, outspoken woman ignited the music industry...and the nation. But something was missing. That something was the power of metal...a male rock guitarist. Famed Australian song writer and Producer, Mike Chapman, had the solution...Neil “Spyder” Giraldo. Giraldo’s résumé was, well, impressive. Neil performed with Rick Derringer, John Waite, Rick Springfield, Kenny Loggins and Steve Forbert. Giraldo’s ability to play multiple instruments, including the piano, would bring both versatility and ingenuity to a rising vocal talent in need of power and direction. But Giraldo was bringing so much more than anticipated. Both Benatar and Giraldo share similar recollections of their first encounter...an audition, of sorts...and both illustrate a connection as electric as Giraldo’s guitar...which he neglected to bring with him to the aforementioned meeting. Benatar gazed at this young, alluring axe-man and momentarily forgot all about her band, about her music, about everything. Pat has admitted to stating “I don't even care if he can play. He's in the band.” Giraldo, too, was mesmerized. Pat’s beauty, her voice and her energy captivated the young guitarist. The relationship began forthwith. In February, the couple will celebrate their 34th year of marriage. As the decade of 70’s virile rock and roll departed and the techno-punk 80’s swept in, Benatar and Giraldo found themselves with a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) platinum album, “In the Heat of the Night,” RIAA 4x platinum album, “Crimes of Passion,” and 2 time RIAA platinum and number 1 album, “Precious Time.” Pat and her band were a regular presence on MTV, in fact, her “You Better Run” video was the second video played on the newly-launched MTV...following the thoughtfully chosen “Video Killed the Radio Star,” by The Buggles. [caption id="attachment_341327" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo provided.[/caption] We reached out to Neil and Pat and both were kind enough to interrupt their busy schedules to chat. The two were so occupied, that the interviews needed to be conducted separately. Gary Levine: Pat...I posted on my personal social media page that you and Neil were coming to Naples next month and that I was going to be interviewing the two of you. A surge of replies flooded my page...one about a 1975 Bar Mitzvah at the Marquis Room. One asking me about the Noblemen Orchestra. One regarding a Bat Mitzvah at Leonard’s in Great Neck. Please tell us how one goes from “here comes Uncle Norman walking down the isle” in 1976 to “Heartbreaker” in 1979? Pat Benatar: “Well, it was a very interesting journey. I was probably the one ‘shiksa’ in New York that attended the most Bar Mitzvahs. (Pat and I both laugh.) And it was great because the whole band was Italian except for the drummer, who was Jewish. So, it was like a bunch of ‘goombah,’ you know? But the drummer was a friend of mine...his name was Mel...he was a great guy...and in this band, “The Noblemen,” I can’t remember this guy’s first name. His last name was DiBennedetto...I remember that. And I was just kind of doing my thing and trying to get songwriters and the band together...and all that stuff...and I needed money. I had no money, no food and my friend said ‘Hey listen, you know, why don’t you just come with us on Saturdays...we’re doing these gigs.’ I said ‘ok...sure...whatever.’ I didn’t have to do anything but go, show up...they brought all the equipment...drove me wherever they were going and that was it. So, basically, I paid my rent and I was able to have a little bit of rice and that’s it. In a couple of years it would allow me to sign that record deal. “ “That’s a big jump,” I responded. “Huge jump,” Pat continued. “I just did it on the weekends. I also worked at ‘Catch,’ you know, ‘Catch a Rising Star.’ I did that and the weddings and things like that. Sometimes, I sang at church I was a soloist for ‘Ave Maria.’ I was trying to cover all of my bases, giggled Pat. Despite her celebrity, Pat’s laughter enunciates humility. It declares an appreciation for life and emits a jocularity normally enjoyed by young adults. Gary Levine: Based on my research, it appears that both you and I were born to similar Brooklyn surroundings. You were born in Greenpoint. Your mom, Mildred, was a beautician...she’s currently ill and I ask our readers to please keep her in their thoughts and prayers. Your father was a sheet-metal worker. Your family eventually moved to Lindenhurst in Suffolk County on Long Island. What are your recollections, as a child and adolescent, of growing up in New York? Pat Benatar: “I didn’t live there (Brooklyn) growing up. I lived there until I was like three. But my grandparents...my aunt and uncle...everybody was still in Greenpoint. So, we were there all the time. Really fun! I loved it there!” Pat paused. “It was two completely different places. Brooklyn was like this really ethnic, Polish neighborhood, you know. A lot of the stores and everything were Polish. Everyone in my family was deeply religious...Catholic...we spent a lot of time at church functions. A lot of the times we did those traditional things. My mother’s side of the family was Irish...Dutch...they were all from Pennsylvania and they all lived on Long Island. And I grew up in an entirely Italian neighborhood, basically...a couple of German and some Jewish families, but most were Italian. We lived...not on the water...we were a working class family, so we lived in a neighborhood...but we were very close to the water. Just having that experience was amazing...always at the beach and always with our friends surfing, clamming. And then, going back into Brooklyn...being able to walk on the avenue was like being in Manhattan...so it was really fun. It was a great...a really wonderful childhood...very close family and friends, all the time.” Gary Levine: Pat...you’ve recorded songs written by some pretty incredible talent...Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson...both of whom are incredibly talented (and wrote my favorite song...for their Eve album...performed by Lesley Duncan “If I could Change Your Mind”), John Mellencamp, Nick Gilder, Billy Steinberg...who, I believe co-wrote hits with Tom Kelly for Madonna, Whitney Houston, The Pretenders and many more. Additionally, you had material written by Mike Chapman, who had a batch of hits with Nicky Chinn for Suzi Quatro, Blondie, Sweet and The Knack. Of course, Neil wrote and co-wrote some of your material. When music was presented to you, what about it made you believe that this piece was right for you? And, aside from Neil, was there a particular song writer that you found to be the most innovative and gifted? Pat Benatar: “Well, with the exception of Alan Parsons, most of the people that we were working with, at the time, were new, like us. So, everybody was innovative. Everybody was like 12 years old (we chuckled) and crazy and having fun. And, yeah, Mellencamp wasn’t Mellencamp...he was John Cougar...and all of us were at the beginning of our rock careers. Mike Chapman probably had the most success. But even he was a young man. And, Holly Knight, of course (Knight is a three-time Grammy Award winning song writer who co-wrote ‘Love is a Battlefield’ with Mike Chapman)...you know, she will always be my favorite writer. Spyder and she get along amazingly well. Of course, I’d have to say she would be my favorite writer...besides my husband, of course. We (Pat and Neil) wrote most of our material. The hits...a lot of the hits were written by outside writers. But most of our really big, critical songs, like ‘Hell is For Children’ and ‘Promises in the Dark,’ etc., all the signature things, were written by us. So, we were all kind of in the same boat. We were all just kind of...no-holds-barred...just goin’ for it. It was really a very exciting and creative time for everybody.” Gary Levine: I asked this same question to Bob Newhart, a couple of weeks ago. He just celebrated his 53rd wedding anniversary with his wife, Ginnie. I believe that you and Neil are married for 33 years now? Pat Benatar: “34 years...in February it will be 34.” [caption id="attachment_341324" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo provided.[/caption] Gary Levine: My question is this: the entertainment industry is known for short and inconsequential marriages. What would you say has been the secret to your enduring marriage to Neil? Pat Benatar: “There’s no secret. It’s just commitment and like-minded thinking and having a priority that the goofy business that we work in is simply our work. It is not our life. We have a life and that’s with each other and our family...and we have this really great gig...but it’s just our job...and that’s it. And, it’s always been it...even at 26. It wasn’t a secret.” I found Pat’s response to be very profound and I plan to ask Neil the same question when I chat with him in a couple of days. Her statement inadvertently underscored the failure of many celebrity marriages. When one’s career...one’s public persona...one’s fame becomes their emphasis and priority, marriage and commitment to another person slips down the priority list. As marriage is difficult enough under the best of circumstances, it is surely doomed when deemed less important than oneself. While many celebrities define themselves by their career, clearly, Pat prides herself on her marital and familial relationships. Gary Levine: If I asked you to complete the following sentence, how would you complete it? The one thing that fans would be surprised to know about Pat Benatar is __________________. Pat Benatar: “That I’m super-quiet. I read books all day. And I cook like a mad-woman.” Food always gets my attention...sadly. Gary Levine: So, tell me about your cooking. Have you always been into cooking? Pat Benatar: “Oh, no...I never cooked. I never ate. But then I met this Italian...this Sicilian man who loves food and I said ‘OK, let’s get smart here!’ So, you know, I wanted him back, so I became a cook. The man loves to eat!” Gary Levine: So, is most of your cooking Italian? Pat Benatar: “No, but a lot of it is. But, of course not. He’s a much more worldly human than he was at 22. But this became a thing. I just have an affinity for it.” Gary Levine: Pat...here’s one last question. You have worked your way from up from Greenpoint to winning four Grammys...multi-platinum albums...been touring for 35 years or so. You and Neil have toured with some amazing bands, Fleetwood Mac, REO Speedwagon, Hall and Oates, Steve Miller, Blondie, Journey...and there are more. Would you say that you have scratched everything off of your career “to-do” list? Pat Benatar: “No...gosh, no!!” Gary Levine: OK...so what else would you like to see yourselves involved in? Pat Benatar: “To me...it’s never ending. I’d still like to do a classical record. I’d like to do a blues record. I’d like to do a complete record of Christmas standards. I’d like to do an orchestral tour. Broadway...it doesn’t end. I want to write another book. There’s lots of things I want to do! I want to do a cookbook. Lots of stuff.” I outwardly showed surprise at the protracted list. “I feel like I haven’t even tapped in yet,” Pat declared. “I’ve got way more stuff to accomplish.” And, with a Spyder beside her, I’m confident that there’s much more to come. But I had yet to hear from Neil...the yang to Pat’s yin...the other half of the coalition. Two days after speaking with Pat, I had the opportunity to chat with one of rock’s most talented guitarists. While the Benatar name has always stood alone on arena marquees, on video title pop-ups and on album/CD covers, it has been the acumen...the musical prowess...the circumspection of husband and guitarist, Neil “Spyder” Giraldo, that have fueled the Benatar machine. Spyder’s acute vision...his proficiency on multiple instruments and his grasp of the nuances of the music industry...have been some of rock’s best-kept secrets. As record labels saw dollar signs promoting a seductive, brash and tenacious Pat, Neil drove the band from a nearly unmarked and unlit place. Those on the inside, especially Pat, gratefully hand the wheel to Giraldo who has worked diligently over the years...has taken such pride in the quality of his work...and wants nothing more than to generate outstanding music. I had the good fortune of being able to speak with Spyder and ask a number of questions. Some of the questions were virtually the same posed two days earlier to his wife...hoping to compare and contrast perspectives. Gary Levine: Neil...you were born in Cleveland and began playing the guitar at the age of six...that’s an incredibly young age. You began playing in local bands at the age of 14. Was there a guitarist in your family...was there a professional musician that prompted such an interest in this instrument? And what prompted you to learn piano, as well? Neil Giraldo: “OK...so what happens with this is I was 6 years old and I got a guitar for my birthday which happens to be right around Christmas (the emphasis he placed on the word ‘Christmas’ was apparently a communiqué to alert me that he was one of those kids that was cheated out of a gift due to his birthday’s proximity to Christmas). So, Christmas ended...and I’m Catholic...my family’s Catholic. They got me a guitar because they wanted me to do duets with my sister...who played accordion.” I immediately thought to myself that, fortunately, the instruments weren’t reversed...or Pat Benatar might have become a polka band! Yikes... “We’re a Sicilian family. And the idea was, after church, the family would get together and friends from the neighborhood would come by and we’d play Italian songs. I wasn’t too crazy about that. I wanted to be a football player...I wanted to be Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns. So...I have an uncle who’s four years older than me. That’s what did it! What happened was...when he discovered rock and roll, he brought it into my house. And, he actually ended up living with us because my grandpa passed away. He came and hung with me all the time...he was like a big brother. And he wanted to be a singer so he said ‘Let’s put a band together.’ So he was the singer and I was the guitar player in the band. That’s when I was playing...doing the gigs at 14. He was sneaking me into clubs. I was not old enough to be in them. We’re sneaking in the back door. We’d play Yardbirds songs and various stuff, like that. And, then, I started playing piano when I was 12...and, then I started playing drums. I base most of the things that I do on rhythm...even playing guitar. I’m more of a rhythm player. I like to play drums to Simon and Garfunkle records...because I love the songs, but they didn’t have drums in them. I wanted to put percussion in them. So, I learned how to play drums from that.” Gary Levine: I watched an interview that both you and Pat had done with Dan Rather. It was really cool watching both of you, individually, describing your first meeting. In hindsight, it’s easy to see how each of you filled voids in the other’s personal life and professional career. So, after over three decades of marriage and music production, what would you say was the most difficult aspect of your lives to manage? [caption id="attachment_341323" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo provided.[/caption] Neil Giraldo: “The most difficult aspect was the outside influence. Our management team, at that time, record company. That was the most difficult thing. We were together from day one. We knew exactly what we wanted. And we were each other’s missing part...and each other’s muse. It was almost as if we were drifting through this universe...it sounds metaphysical, but it’s really the truth...when we met, I looked at her and she looked at me and, it was like ‘where have you been?’ It was like ‘I know you but where have you been my whole life?’ It made such perfect sense. She filled such an important void that I had and I filled a big, important part, for her...it was like butter. I swear...the last thing that I would want is to be in a band with my girlfriend...or a girl singer. But, to me, all I was looking for was a great singer to form a rock and roll band. All she wanted to do is form a rock and roll band. She had no idea how to do that. There wasn’t a clue. She sang ‘Cabaret’ and things like that! She said ‘Well I want to start a rock and roll band.’ I said ‘OK, well, you’re perfect for me. I love your voice!’ She loved my playing and it was almost like we were one person. And that’s the truth and it’s never changed from day one. Gary Levine: It seems as if Pat’s “pre-Spyder” years have been well documented...a powerful, vibrant vocalist lacking something...perhaps direction...perhaps a trusted, knowledgeable and experienced partner. Where was your head at in, let’s say 1978, 1979? What was Neil looking for prior to this union with Pat? Neil Giraldo: “Well, I was with the Rick Derringer band at the time. We were playing stadiums...opening up for Led Zeppelin...all the stuff was phenomenal! My goal...always...was to start a rock and roll band from the very beginning. And all I was looking for was a great singer. That’s all I wanted. Find a great singer. I just didn’t realize that it would be a girl. So, my headspace was basically...when the record company called Mike (Chapman)...Mike said ‘Well, we got this girl...we signed this girl. She knows what she wants but nobody’s listening and it’s not really working. We’d love for you to get it.’ Mike did a record for Derringer, before I joined the Derringer band, and he saw us play live. And Mike said ‘Listen...I got the guy for you. He plays guitar. He plays keyboards. He knows song structure. He’s an arranger...he’s a future producer. This guy is who you want!’ So, my headspace was wanting to find a great singer. That’s all I was looking for. And, thank God, I’m the luckiest guy in the word...it fell right into my lap and I got a great singer. But, the other thing that you’ve got to remember is that, when Patricia was singing, before we met, she would sing high notes in falsetto. They wouldn’t be in regular voice. She didn’t get regular voice until we started working together. I kept saying ‘No, it’s falsetto. It’s got to be a regular voice. You can’t hit falsetto for this.’ Basically, we worked on it in rehearsal...worked on it...worked on it. Then, all of a sudden, it started coming. I said ‘Oh my God! This is it! We’re on our way.’ And I knew right then.” Gary Levine: Neil...the AA batteries in my TV remote generally last longer than most marriages in the entertainment industry. Traveling, groupies, business and financial issues destroy a large percentage of celebrity marriages. You and Pat will be celebrating your 34th anniversary next month. What do you attribute this to? Neil Giraldo: “Here’s what it is. Every relationship is based on two factors: passive and assertive. The way it works in our life...which it has been from day one is this: in the family life...family ‘goings-on,’ Patricia is the assertive one, I am the passive one. She controls our family life...every minute of it...every part of it. On the musical side, I am the assertive one and she is the passive one. And that’s the way it has always been. In the very beginning, I almost felt like a dictator in a way...but a nice guy dictator (we both laughed at this concept). I was so confident! I knew exactly what I wanted to hear. I knew exactly how it was supposed to be played. I knew exactly what it was supposed to be. I knew exactly what the tempo was. I knew the direction...I knew everything. I was 100% convinced. And, that’s why it worked. She recognized that right away. So, she delegated to me...to be that person. She would come in and say ‘What? OK. I’ll follow you. Whatever you want to do. Let’s go have fun.’ I’d say, ‘OK, here’s our plan.’ And that’s the reason. And, do you know what that does? It creates respect for each other. She respects what I do, I respect what she does. And we know how to get out of each other’s way. That’s the key to success in both personal and business. That’s how we always lived our lives. If you have two assertive people, you’re only going to bang heads and wind up with zero.” Gary Levine: You have risen to the top of your field from, I believe, modest means in Ohio. You’ve played with some incredibly talented people...Kenny Loggins, Rick Springfield, John Waite...who I absolutely love, especially his work with “The Baby’s.” You and Pat have produced iconic music and have sold millions and millions of albums. You’ve done some writing. I asked Pat this question the other day and I’m interested in your perspective. Would you say that you have crossed everything off of your career bucket list? If not, what else would you like to work on? [caption id="attachment_341322" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo provided.[/caption] Neil Giraldo: “Oh, no! I’m not even close to that. I haven’t scratched the surface. Every day, I walk into the studio to write a song, I expect to write the greatest song that I have ever written. And I truly believe that my best work hasn’t even been done yet. And, the other thing that I believe, too, is that aside from what I do musically, my best work has not been seen or heard yet. I don’t know in what capacity it is in...whether it’s directing a film, writing a film...I don’t know if it’s acting in a film. I don’t know what those things are! I don’t know if it’s philanthropy. I don’t know if it’s saving someone’s life on a highway who’s near death. I don’t know what it is but I really, truly believe that the greatest thing that I will do in my life has yet to happen...and I don’t know what it is. As the Benatar-Giraldo tour comes to Southwest Florida in a few weeks, I felt compelled to share their story with our readers and with those fortunate enough to be attending their concert. Taking absolutely nothing away from the extraordinarily talented Benatar, whose work has been amongst my personal favorites, I wanted to “lift the hood” and display the engine...Neil “Spyder” Giraldo. Interestingly, Spyder is earnestly at ease with the hood down...discretely providing the strength and energy for the band. That being said, he was clearly taken aback when asked the final question. Gary Levine: Last question: Your life began in Cleveland, Ohio. What would it mean to ultimately be inducted into Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Neil Giraldo: “Oh! First of all, I don’t think in those terms. Number one, I’m a musician...I’m not a star. I’m a writer. I’m an arranger. I’m a producer. I don’t feel that that will ever be recognized for the Hall. I think it’s based on other things. Believe me...it would be an honor, but I don’t think it’s ever going to happen.” While unprofessional, I interrupted Spyder. In addition to the “marquee” names that have already been inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the hall contains those who have made significant contributions to the music industry. I mentioned Les Paul, Dick Clark, Clive Davis. I reminded Neil of the decades of inimitable and astounding music that he has played, written and produced. I cited the many millions of records/CDs sold over that period. Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after their first record was released and, as mentioned, the hall has numerous categories for induction including Performer, Ahmet Ertegun Award (for songwriters, music journalists, disc jockies, etc.), Early Influences and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Award for Musical Excellence. Neil Giraldo: “The thing is that nobody knew our story...and it was meant to be that way from a marketing standpoint. That’s what they wanted...and it’s cool. When I’m on stage, and I see fan’s faces, I know that I’ve connected with them. I don’t play for accolades.” Giraldo clearly balked at the possibility of induction. I disagreed. “I’ll make you a deal,” Spyder remarked. “If the situation ever happens, I will call you, and you will have to do the introduction.” I’ll begin writing it now... Neil Giraldo and Pat Benatar will be rocking Hayes Hall at Artis-Naples on Thursday, February 18 at 8:00 p.m. Join the Naples Herald in welcoming these legendary rockers to Southwest Florida! Tickets can be purchased here or by calling the box office at 1-800-597-1900. The Naples Herald welcomes your comments, thoughts and concerns! Beneath each article and column you will find a red comments button! We share this incredible community with you and wish to provide our readers with the opportunity to express and share their views and opinions!
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