Neil Giraldo

Neil Thomas Giraldo (born December 29, 1955) is an American musician, record producer, arranger, and songwriter best known as the musical partner of Pat Benatar since 1979and husband since 1982. He has also performed, written and produced for artists including Rick Derringer, John Waite, Rick Springfield, Kenny Loggins, Steve Forbert, The Del-Lords, Scott Kempner, and Beth Hart. Giraldo's diverse work has sold over 45 million records and his contributions have produced five Grammy Awards and an additional four Grammy nominations. In 2022, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside Benatar.

Early life Giraldo was born on December 29, 1955, in Cleveland, Ohio, graduating from Parma Senior High School in Parma, Ohio, to Sicilian parents, Anthony and Angela Giraldo. At the age of six, Giraldo received his first guitar as a gift from his parents. Giraldo notes his first live performances as playing Italian songs after church for family and friends, alongside his sister Priscilla, who played the accordion. He later started playing in local bands at the age of 14, venturing into nightclubs with his uncle, who sang while Giraldo played the guitar. He learned to play the piano at the age of 12, and afterwards learned the drums. Giraldo provided his guitar, as well as piano skills for Derringer's 1979 recording of Guitars and Women. who had recently signed a recording contract with Chrysalis Records.

Benatar's debut album In the Heat of the Night was released in August 1979 and reached No. 12 in the US in early 1980. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in December 1980. The album featured the Giraldo penned hit "We Live for Love".

The release of Crimes of Passion, in August 1980, featured the single "Hit Me with Your Best Shot," which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 The album peaked for five consecutive weeks at No. 2 in the US

Precious Time marked the first of many Benatar albums produced by Giraldo, and was released in July 1981, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard US Top 200 LP chart,

The 1981 album Working Class Dog by Rick Springfield featured Giraldo as the guitarist, bassist, and producer for "I’ve Done Everything for You" and the number one hit "Jessie's Girl".

Giraldo was also the producer for the John Waite album Ignition, released on May 21, 1982. The album featured the single "Change", which also appeared on the soundtrack for the 1985 film, Vision Quest.

Tropico was released in August 1984, featuring a new sound, less hard rock. It, too, earned RIAA followed by Gravity's Rainbow in 1993, which was the last album recorded with Chrysalis Records.

Innamorata was released in June 1997 and was recorded under the CMC International record label. The album featured the single "Strawberry Wine".

Giraldo began film scoring in 2001 with his debut work for the film Nailed, starring Harvey Keitel.

The Pat Benatar album Go was released in August 2003 under the Bel Chiasso label. The album included the 9/11 charity single, "Christmas in America".

In 2004 Giraldo was the film composer for the film Smile, which featured Sean Astin, Beau Bridges, and Linda Hamilton.

In September 2019, Giraldo received the AFMX 2019 Music Award, as part of the Albuquerque Film and Music Experience Festival.

Other ventures In 2017, Giraldo founded and is the chairman of Steel Bending Spirits LLC. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the spirits company released its inaugural offering, Three Chord Bourbon in July 2018. In July 2019, Steel Bending Spirits expanded its Three Chord Bourbon product line, introducing two new variations, Twelve Bar Reserve and Amplify Rye.

Personal life Neil Giraldo married singer Pat Benatar in 1982. They have two daughters, Haley Giraldo and Hana Giraldo (who have both appeared on the E! reality television series Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive and Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules in late 2005 and early 2022).

Giraldo is called "Spyder" because his wife gave him the nickname early in their relationship after they saw a club called "Spyder's Dinner Club" painted in his favorite colors, black and yellow, and he loved fast cars (Spyders). She thought the name suited his fast, intense energy, and it stuck as a term of endearment.

While Benatar and Giraldo are both Roman Catholic, the two did not marry within the Church due to the former's divorce. The two were married in Hana, Hawaii, by Rev. Henry Kahula of the nondenominational Wainanalua Church on February 20, 1982, just days before the 24th Grammy Awards.

Charitable work Giraldo has been a long time advocate for the support of children and their well-being. Since 1996 Giraldo has been hosting and performing at fundraising events and lending assistance to the non-profit organization, The Children's Lifesaving Foundation.

In 2016 Giraldo became involved with the Oakland School for the Arts, a charter school located in Oakland California. In April 2016, the school unveiled the Neil Giraldo Recording Studio as a welcome gift to the music department.

In 2019 the United Outreach Foundation welcomed Giraldo as a member of the board of directors. United Outreach Foundation is a 501c3 organization providing community support for homelessness, food scarcity, education and animal welfare.

Recognition In 2016 Giraldo and Benatar were awarded the Children's LSF foundation's Angel of the Year Award for their continued service with the organization.

On April 12, 2016, Giraldo and Benatar were honored with the Artistic Award of Courage, celebrating both artists for their advocacy toward the ending of child abuse. The award was presented in conjunction with the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Board of Advisors, via The Stewart and Lydia Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA.

In September 2019, Giraldo received the AFMX 2019 Music Award, as part of the Albuquerque Film and Music Experience Festival. Although the duo was not chosen for induction in 2020, they were again nominated in 2022 and were chosen as one of seven inductees.

Discography

Studio albums + List of albums, with selected chart positions, sales, and certifications(all with Benatar, unless otherwise noted) Title Album details Peak chart positions CertificationsUS UK CAN Guitars and Women (piano, guitar) – (Rick Derringer) Release date: 1979 Label: Blue Sky Format: LP, cassette, audio cd – — — — In the Heat of the Night (songwriter, guitar, keyboards, vocals) Release date: August 27, 1979 Label: Chrysalis Format: LP, 8-track, cassette, cd 12 98 3RIAA: Platinum MC: 4× Platinum SNEP: Gold Crimes of Passion (songwriter, guitar, keyboards, vocals) Release date: August 6, 1980 Label: Chrysalis

Release date: October 29, 1982 Label: Chrysalis Format: LP 4 73 16RIAA: Platinum Seven the Hard Way (producer, guitar, songwriter, keyboards) Release date: October 30, 1985 Label: Chrysalis Format: LP 26 69 36RIAA: Gold True Love (guitar, songwriter, producer)Release date: April 9, 1991 Label: Chrysalis Format: LP 37 40 22MC: Gold Producer, Guitar, Bass Rick Springfield 1982 "Don't Fight It" Arranger, Guitar Kenny Loggins 1983 Down in Flames Producer Steve Forbert 1985 Vision Quest (soundtrack) Producer Multiple 1997 Intimacy Songwriter The Corrs 2001 Nailed Film composer Multiple 2001 California Dreamin' Producer Beth Hart 2004 SMILE Film composer Multiple 2015 One December Night Keyboards, songwriter, guitar, producer Pat Benatar 2017 Shine Producer, guitar, drums, keyboards Pat Benatar 2018 Dancing Through the Wreckage Songwriter Pat Benatar 2023 "Heartbreaker" Featured artist alongside Pat Benatar Dolly Parton