Wednesday, July 30, 2003
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Wednesday, July 30, 2003 |
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Benatar and Giraldo to hit PTC with their "best shots" By MICHAEL
BOYLAN Most people know that the first video to air on MTV was The Buggles, "Video Killed the Radio Star," but very few know what the second video was. The answer is "You Better Run," by Pat Benatar. Benatar and her husband and longtime collaborator, Neil Giraldo, will take the stage at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater this Friday and Saturday to kick off the second half of their summer concert series. For anyone who even had a faint idea of what has happening in the pop music and rock and roll scenes in the 1980s, Benatar is a legend. She recorded nine original albums from 1979-1989 and of those nine, seven went platinum and two went gold. Nineteen of her songs charted in the top 40 and several of those reached the top 10. Benatar won four Grammy awards and three American Music Awards but her legacy must also include paving the way for other female singers to find success in rock music. Benatar began her love affair with music at a young age, singing in school and church choirs. She continued to study privately in high school and then took her voice to clubs and lounges. She was cast in an off-Broadway sci-fi musical composed by Harry Chapin and also began performing at Catch a Rising Star, a club featuring up and coming singers and comedians trying to make it. In 1977, Benatar performed at the club still dressed in a Halloween costume. The audience, which usually gave her a war response, gave her a standing ovation for her performance. She signed with Chrysalis Records the following year. It was while recording her first album that she met Giraldo, a well-respected session artist and member of Rick Derringer's band. The two hit it off instantly and have been a team both in and out of the studio ever since. Her first album, "In the Heat of the Night" went platinum and gave listeners the top 40 hits "Heartbreaker" and "We Live for Love." The next album went quadruple platinum and produced the hit "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." The album "Precious Time" followed and hit number one on the charts and started a string of successful albums featuring huge hits and famous videos. "Love is a Battlefield" is believed by many to be Benatar's most famous video. It still resonates with listeners and viewers of all ages and was even recently paid an homage in a recent episode of "South Park." Other than perhaps Madonna, no other female artist of the time used the rock video to such an advantage in spreading her music to a wide audience. This also translated to a number of songs being used in movies. Her song "Invincible" was the theme song for the film "The Legend of Billie Jean," while other songs have appeared in the films, "Metropolis," "Speed," and "An Extremely Goofy Movie" among others. Benatar and Giraldo have still been extremely active. In 1999 they released a three CD collection "Synchronistic Wanderings: Recorded Anthology 1979-1999" and in 2002 they released a live CD and DVD, "Summer Vacation Live." Benatar's newest album, "Go" will hit stores in a few weeks and she and Giraldo will perform this Friday and Saturday at "The Fred."
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