Rockers Pat Benatar and her husband Neil Giraldo are heading this way for a rockin’ hot night of music Friday, July 3 at Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca, NY.
It’s been 35 years since the husband and wife powerhouse met, teamed up and fell in love. Having recently released a live CD/DVD collection titled “Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo: The 35th Anniversary Tour”, they will be touring through the summer to party with their fans across the country.
The singer and her guitar playing husband, who also serves as producer and arranger, honed her voice to create that unmistakable sound that is part of the soundtrack of the 1980’s.
Of the 10 Grammy ceremonies in the 1980’s, Benatar was nominated nine times and won 4 consecutive Grammys for Best Female Rock Performance between 1980 and 1983.
One of the fun bits of trivia that you may or may not know about is that her video of the song “You Better Run” was the second video ever played on MTV and he was the first guitarist ever featured.
With hits like “ Heartbeaker”, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, “Love Is A Battlefield” and “We Belong”, Benatar is a staple of classic rock stations and a force to be reckoned with on the tour stage.
With sold-out shows around the country, Benatar and Giraldo know what fans want from a show … a rockin’ great time that takes you away from the everyday mayhem and lets you relive those crazy 80’s with their unforgettable rock anthems about love.
For ticket information visit: www.senecacasinos.com and click on Seneca Allegany. For more information on Benatar and Giraldo visit www.benatargiraldo.com.
A CONVERSATION WITH PAT AND NEIL
HULICK:On April 28th your “35th Anniversary Tour CD/DVD” was released. You are currently touring in conjunction with its release, and we are lucky enough to be one of the stops on the tour. Can you tell me a little bit about the CD/DVD collection?
GIRALDO:Well it’s a collection of our greatest and groundbreaking hits. It’s exciting to achieve a milestone like this in your career and it is going to be a blast to tour and share this with our fans.
BENATAR:Our lead-off single from the live CD is “Promises in the Dark” and we are thrilled to be releasing this live version of the song. “Promises” has a special meaning for us. It was the first song we wrote together, about our own relationship. It was a little awkward at first, to be sure! It has become one of our signature compositions and a favorite to play live.
HULICK:Your marriage is a real “love story” that has lasted 33 years and your partnership musically has been going strong for 35 years. What makes it work so well?
BENATAR:You know when I was trying to figure out what or who I wanted to be musically, Neil came into my life to help me figure that out. I was looking for a partnership that would make me more than just a band, and in the same vein I didn’t want it to be all about me, which was very easy to fall into in those days. The fact that we fell in love and have been happily married was more than we could have even thought would happen.
GIRALDO:Everything just clicked - professionally and personally with us. We had the same ideas; the same goals … and we worked together through it all and raised a family along the way. Everything was done together or it didn’t happen. We love each other and we love what we do … and when you get the chance, that once in a lifetime chance, you take extra care of that.
BENATAR:We are each other’s muse and have been from the moment we met.
HULICK:Pat, you are credited as one of the female vocalists who paved the way for females to make a stand and be successful in the music industry. Did you realize that at the time?
BENATAR:I guess in a way I was aware of it. I know that every day was tumultuous. It was like a sport, but I was up for the challenge … I was just basically part of that movement that was happening at the time with female vocalists. I was having a great time and we knocked down a lot of barriers, and I’m glad I got to be a part of it.
HULICK:I hear you love to cook.
BENATAR:Yes! I really didn’t cook much until I met Neil. He loves to eat so I started cooking when I met him.
HULICK:What types of food do you like to cook?
GIRALDO:She does a lot of Italian dishes because I’m half Sicilian.
BENATAR:Yes, and we love to grill.
HULICK:Does anyone else in your family like to cook?
BENATAR:Yes, our daughters do. One loves to bake.
HULICK:What’s your favorite song of all the ones you’ve recorded?
BENATAR:“Heartbreaker” for sure. It was my first hit and it was when Neil and I teamed up and started this sound that would define us musically.
HULICK:You’ve played this area before and we are looking forward to your return on July 3rd.
BENATAR:We are looking forward to it as well. It is such a beautiful area and the fans are terrific. Be ready to rock!
