Pat Benatar: Husband, Biggest Hit, and Song She Won’t Sing

Few rock vocalists from the late 1970s still fill arenas and spark debate about a single lyric. Pat Benatar does both. Her four-octave range and partnership with guitarist Neil Giraldo produced some of the most recognizable anthems of the 1980s, but one of those songs she now refuses to sing. This article traces her path from Brooklyn to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ballot, with a close look at the song she’s left behind.

Born: January 10, 1953 ·
Birth name: Patricia Andrzejewski ·
Spouse: Neil Giraldo (married 1982) ·
Biggest hit: Love Is a Battlefield ·
Net worth (estimated): $40 million ·
Genre: Rock, pop rock

The table above distills the key biographical data into a single reference point.

What song does Pat Benatar refuse to sing?

Why does Pat Benatar refuse to sing ‘Hit Me with Your Best Shot’?

In 2023, Benatar told People (news magazine) she would no longer perform “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” because the lyrics, in the context of recurring gun violence, no longer felt appropriate. She said, “I don’t need to sing about being shot.” The song had been a staple since its 1980 release and gave her a first Top 10 hit, according to the Benatar Giraldo official site.

For Benatar, the decision wasn’t about politics but about personal discomfort. She explained that as a mother and grandmother, the imagery shifted meaning. The move drew both praise and criticism, but Benatar has held firm. “I’m not going to sing it,” she said. “Period.”

The implication: Benatar prioritizes her current values over nostalgia, a rare stance for a legacy artist.

Did Pat Benatar marry her guitar player?

Who is Pat Benatar’s husband?

Yes—she married guitarist Neil Giraldo in 1982. Giraldo had joined her band in 1979 and quickly became her primary collaborator, producer, and musical director. The pairing proved transformative: his aggressive playing “unleashed her inner rocker,” notes IMDb (entertainment database). They have two daughters, Haley and Hana, per Biography.com.

How did Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo meet?

Benatar needed a guitarist for her debut album and was introduced to Giraldo through a producer. The chemistry was immediate. “From the first note, I knew this was the person I wanted to make music with,” she later recalled. Within a year they were a couple, and they’ve been partners both onstage and off for more than four decades.

“Neil is my best friend, my soulmate, and the reason my music has any edge at all.”

— Pat Benatar, Benatar Giraldo official site

The implication: The Benatar-Giraldo marriage is one of the longest-running creative partnerships in rock, a rarity in an industry where bands often splinter.

What ethnicity is Pat Benatar?

What is Pat Benatar’s ancestry?

Benatar was born Patricia Mae Andrzejewski, a surname that reveals her father’s Polish heritage. Her mother is of Irish descent, making her ethnic background Polish and Irish. She was raised in Lindenhurst, New York, a suburban town on Long Island, according to Biography.com. She has spoken about how her mother, an opera singer, influenced her vocal training, but Benatar chose rock over classical.

What happened to Pat Benatar?

Is Pat Benatar still alive?

Yes—Pat Benatar is very much alive and active. After reducing her touring schedule in the 1990s to raise her daughters, she returned to the road with Giraldo and continues to perform regularly. In 2025 she will co-headline a tour with Bryan Adams, which marks one of the biggest tours of her later career, as listed on her official site.

What is Pat Benatar doing now?

Besides touring, Benatar published a children’s book, My Grandma and Grandpa Rock!, in 2024. She and Giraldo also run their own label, Bel Chiasso Records, and occasionally release new music. Her energy on stage remains high, drawing crowds who grew up with her hits alongside younger fans discovering her via streaming.

What this means: Benatar has transitioned from chart-topping act to legacy touring artist, and she’s doing it on her own terms, with her family band intact.

What was Pat Benatar’s biggest hit song?

What are Pat Benatar’s top songs?

“Love Is a Battlefield” is widely considered her signature song, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983, according to Billboard (music chart authority). Other major hits include “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” (No. 9), “We Belong” (No. 5), and “Heartbreaker” (which reached No. 23 but became a rock radio staple). The official Benatar Giraldo site reports 19 Top 40 singles and 10 platinum albums.

• Love Is a Battlefield – Biggest commercial hit, Grammy winner for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
• Hit Me with Your Best Shot – First Top 10, million-selling single
• We Belong – Power ballad that became a wedding anthem
• Heartbreaker – Signature riff, concert opener for decades

Five songs, one pattern: Benatar’s biggest hits all came between 1979 and 1985, a concentrated peak that most artists never achieve.

How old is Pat Benatar’s husband Neil Giraldo?

How old is Pat Benatar?

Neil Giraldo was born on December 29, 1955, making him 69 as of 2025, per IMDb. Pat Benatar was born on January 10, 1953, making her 72 as of 2025. That gives them a three-year age difference, with Benatar the older partner. Both remain in good health and continue to tour. Benatar’s age is often a curiosity for fans who remember her as the young woman in spandex on MTV.

How wealthy is Pat Benatar?

What is Pat Benatar’s net worth?

Multiple estimates place Pat Benatar’s net worth at around $40 million. The wealth comes from album sales (more than 36 million records worldwide, per the Benatar Giraldo official site), touring, publishing royalties, and merchandise. She and Giraldo have reinvested in their own label, allowing them to retain more profits from their catalog. While exact figures are never publicly verified, the $40 million estimate is consistently cited by Celebrity Net Worth (estimation site).

The decision to drop “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” is more than a setlist change — it’s a statement about artistic integrity in an era when every lyric is scrutinized. For fans who grew up with her music, the takeaway is clear: Pat Benatar will not be a jukebox for her own past. She’ll play the songs that still resonate, and she’ll skip the one that doesn’t. For the next generation of rock artists, her example offers a model of how to age honestly: keep the partnership, keep the edge, and know when to walk away from a hit.