Pat Benatar will finally enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame more than two decades after first becoming eligible, and she suggested the delay was due partially to her insistence on being inducted alongside her husband and bandmate Neil Giraldo.
Benatar, who has been eligible for Rock Hall induction since 2000, said it was “really important” for her and Giraldo to enter the institution together. “I’ve lobbied for the past 25 years to get him the credit he’s due,” the singer recently told Billboard. “I’m sure we would’ve both had success separately, but together is what actually made it happen and turned it into what it became.
“There were many, many years when it was tossed around about going in [to the Rock Hall] or not going in,” she continued. “I was just kind of adamant about going in together, and it was pretty much a ‘no,’ and so, ‘I guess I’m not going in, then,’ and that was it. That’s how it was for a very long time, so I’m very, very pleased it’s going the way it is right now.”
While Benatar sold millions of albums and rocketed to fame off the strength of her powerhouse voice and undeniable charisma, Giraldo has served as her guitarist, bandleader, primary songwriting partner and producer since the release of her 1979 debut album, In the Heat of the Night. Giraldo told Billboard separately that although he prefers “being in the shadows,” the chemistry and dynamic between him and Benatar contributed to their success.
“From day one, Patricia and I really did this together,” he said. “I was in the studio every single second. I know where every single note is buried. The greatness of Patricia is she was so extremely secure that when we met she just wanted to sing and she was looking for a partner to kind of do the rest, which I loved. I was happy just to do everything I could to write and produce great records. It was a match made in heaven.”
Benatar will join the Rock Hall class of 2022 alongside Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon. Judas Priest will also receive this year’s Musical Excellence Award. The 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Nov. 5 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
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