On January 10, 1953, Pat Benatar was born in Brooklyn, NY. She grew up to become the ultimate ’80s rock starlet, with classic rock songs like “Heartbreaker,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Love Is A Battlefield,” and “We Belong,” Benatar skyrocketed up the charts in a mostly male-dominated genre. As a female rocker, she was a trailblazer who inspired generations of women to grab a mic and rock out. The multiple Grammy winner lives in Los Angeles today, continuing to inspire our inner rock stars and actively support other strong women.
Born Patricia Mae Andrzejewski, she was raised in Lindenhurst, NY. Her mother, an opera singer, traded in her singing career to raise Benatar and her brother, Andrew. In a 1980 Rolling Stone interview, Benatar recalled having “a happy childhood, a real Catholic upbringing — cheerleader, the beach, Gidget.” Although she inherited her mother’s singing talent, her parents never pressured her to pursue a musical career. However, once her teachers heard her incredible vocal talent, she took voice lessons while her peers were in gym class. After distinguishing herself as a star member of the Lindenhurst High School’s musical theater department, she was accepted into the prestigious Juilliard School of Music. Benatar shocked everyone when she instead married her high school sweetheart, Dennis T. Benatar, a soldier, and moved to Virginia where he was stationed. However, she ultimately found her way back to music. She performed with a cabaret band in Richmond, VA and became well-known in the local area. Although she was on the brink of making it big with her band, she left it all behind to move back to New York City in 1975.
After wowing audiences at an open mic night at the Catch A Rising Star comedy club in NYC, the owner of the nightclub jumped at the chance to be her manager. She continued to sing cabaret, including Judy Garland classics, after signing a record contract with Chrysalis Records in 1978. All the while, Benatar really just wanted to rock out like Robert Plant, the lead singer of Led Zeppelin. Eventually, she linked up with Cleveland rock guitarist (and eventual second husband), Neil Giraldo, who helped her release her inner rock goddess.
Starting in the late 1970s and continuing throughout the 1980s, Benatar was the ultimate rockstar powerhouse. Her 1979 debut album, “In the Heat of the Night,” went platinum. Her next album, “Crimes of Passion” (1980), included one of her
most popular songs of all time, “Hit Me WIth Your Best Shot.” She had a career-defining moment when she sold out her concert at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on December 13, 1982.
While competing in a mostly male-dominated industry, Benatar endured countless incidents of misogyny but continued to stay strong as an empowered female rocker. She was so popular that she even inspired a character in the iconic 1980s classic film, “Fast Times At Ridgemont High.” A testament to her success, Benatar has earned nine Grammy nominations for Best Rock Vocal Performance and won the award for an impressive four consecutive years, from 1980 to 1983. She currently has two RIAA-certified multi-platinum albums, five platinum albums, three gold albums, and 15 Billboard Top 40 singles.
To this day, Benatar continues to stand up for strong women. Last year, she teamed up with producer/songwriter Linda Perry to write a protest song called “Shine” to support the Women’s March in January 2017. It was her first new song in over a decade. She explained, “I wanted to show my support for everyone marching and the importance of standing up for women’s rights…By joining together and lifting each other up, we will show the world that women’s rights must continue to move forward — we’re not going back.” All proceeds from the song go to the B.A. Rudolph Foundation, supporting women pursuing careers in public service and government. Let’s all wish Pat a very happy 65th Birthday!