Pat Benatar Delivers Classic Hits at Hall of Fame Induction
New honorees Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo took the stage at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony to perform hits from their long and influential career.
They opened with a brief but muscular snippet of 1988's "All Fired Up," pairing it with 1983's "Love is a Battlefield." Benatar's first Top 25 single "Heartbreaker" followed, providing the night's biggest singalong yet.
Though Benatar is the marquee name, Giraldo has been at her side since she broke through. The two met in 1979 when the guitarist was recruited to work on her debut album, In the Heat of the Night. Sparks flew, both creatively and – later – romantically. Giraldo has contributed to every Benatar release, serving as a performer, producer and songwriting partner.
"I've lobbied for the past 25 years to get him the credit he's due," Benatar previously told Billboard, explaining that she would not join the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame if Giraldo was not included. "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."