Why Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo Will Always Be Couples Goals
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are one of rock’s best couples. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame duo is responsible for some iconic hits and has remained married for over 40 years while being creative partners. They managed to do this and more while being one of the most objectively hot couples to ever exist.
Sure, Pat and Neil’s physical looks aren’t what matters the most, but just look at them!
Look how gorgeous and adorable they are taking a selfie together! Who doesn’t want this?!
I have said on more than one occasion to my husband of 11 years, “I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I really hope we age like Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo.” He would then laugh at my absurdity, and then I’d double down saying, “Honey, I’m serious…they’re both babes, and we should strive for that, too!”
My shallow desires aside, I was reminded of how Pat and Neil are “couples goals” thanks to YouTube. The AXS TV YouTube channel surfaced a clip from a 2015 episode of The Big Interview with Dan Rather. In the episode, the legendary journalist sits down with the classic rock couple to talk about their lives and incredible career together.
In the clip below, Rather asks Giraldo, “What has been the most critical time in your marriage?” Giraldo responds by saying how he and Benatar began dating shortly after joining musical forces in 1979. (They would get married on February 20, 1982.) Giraldo explains that as Benatar became more and more popular, there were people trying to break them up.
He says, “I live by the model of the mantra that Ronald Reagan said. I’ll paraphrase this. He says, ‘You’d be amazed at what you can accomplish if you don’t care about who gets the credit.’ So, I live by that. I feel I’m going to work 24 hours a day on this project. I’m going to do everything I can, write the best songs that I can, produce the best records I can do. Everything! Because I don’t care who gets a credit; I want it to be great! But not everybody had the same playbook.”
Giraldo explains that people around him and Benatar, including managers and record company reps, wanted more power over their dynamic and purposely tried to create conflict between them. He even considered parting ways with Benatar.
Giraldo says he was in New York working with John Waite when he realized that leaving Benatar would’ve been absolutely crazy.
“No, this is insane! I gotta marry her,” said Giraldo. “So, I called her up and said, ‘You want to get married?’ She says, ‘What took you so long?'”
The moral of the story? Sometimes, you just have to find a way to shut out outside forces and pursue what you know in your heart and gut what is right for you.
Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to be hot, too. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself!)
