Patricia Andrzejewski, known professionally as Pat Benatar, was born in Brooklyn and raised in the suburban area of Lindenhurst, Long Island. Her mother, Millie, had put her own career as an opera singer on hold to focus on raising Pat and her brother, Andrew. Years later, it was Pat who would develop her own classical singing talents, honing her 4.5-octave voice as a member of Lindenhurst High School's musical theater department.
Accepted into the prestigious Juilliard School, Pat surprised her friends and family by marrying her high school sweetheart, Dennis T. Benatar, a soldier, and relocating to Virginia where he was stationed. However, the monotony of life as a housewife and bank teller soon took its toll on Pat, and she joined Coxon's Army, a cabaret band that performed on the Richmond club circuit.
As Coxon's Army gained popularity, Pat's confidence grew, and she eventually made the bold decision to leave her husband and move to New York City to pursue her dream. She began performing at Manhattan's "Catch A Rising Star," where she thrilled audiences with her first performance on a amateur night.
Soon, Pat secured a paying gig, a manager, and a recording contract, but her image was still undefined. Initially, she focused on singing torch songs and Judy Garland classics, longing to perform harder-rocking tunes in the style of Led Zeppelin. Her wish was finally granted when her handlers introduced her to Cleveland guitarist Neil Giraldo, whose aggressive playing style unleashed Pat's inner rocker.
That fateful Halloween night, Pat's audience roared with approval as she took the stage in a sultry costume, and she had finally found her image. With Neil Giraldo by her side, Pat Benatar was ready to take the music world by storm.
