Neil Giraldo
Producer/songwriter/guitarist Neil Giraldo has been teamed with his wife, Pat Benatar, since the launch of her career. A talented artist, writer and producer, he has helped mold her unique sound and has worked with a variety of other artists as well.
Neil Thomas Giraldo was born of Sicilian parents in Cleveland , Ohio on December 29, 1955 . He got into music at an early age, heavily influenced by Elvis Presley. Later, musician Scotty Moore made a big impression on him, as well as the British guitarists, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. Neil began playing the guitar at age six at his father’s urging. By the time he was 12, he was playing in local clubs. His first professional recording job was with Rick Derringer on the album Guitars and Women.
In 1977 Neil moved to New York and was touring with Derringer when he caught the attention of Chrysalis Records executive Jeff Aldridge and producer Mike Chapman. In 1979 Neil was brought in as the lead guitarist and musical arranger for Benatar’s platinum selling album In The Heat Of The Night. Neil put the band together and, starting with that album, he has played a large role in the creation of Benatar’s recordings. Ironically the first song he wrote for Benatar was one of two singles picked for the album "We Live For Love" and it became a top 40 hit.Today, Neil is known not only as an accomplished guitarist and songwriter but also as a prolific producer. Neil began producing during the recording of the Crimes of Passion album and has produced all of Benatar’s albums ever since.In addition to his work with Pat Benatar, Giraldo has produced albums for John Waite “Change” (Ignition), the Del-Lords (“Based On a True Story” and “Johnny Comes Marching Home,”) contributed to Rick Springfield’s number one hit “Jesse’s Girl” (Working Class Dog) and Kenny Loggins’ “Don’t Fight It” (High Adventure) He also wrote songs for the Corrs, “Intimacy” and Real McCoy “Love Save Me”.
Recently Giraldo completed the score for the upcoming movie Nailed starring Harvey Keitel. While working on Nailed he hooked up with Los Angeles singer/songwriter Beth Hart and began collaborating on a version of the Mamas and Papas “California Dreamin”. He is writing and producing songs for Hart’s upcoming album on Lava/Atlantic Records.
Giraldo in collaboration with old friend Scott Kempner from the Del Lords have been working on many other future projects. Currently in the works are songs for a Bruce Springsteen Tribute album.
Also in the works, a movie Five Stones starring Val Kilmer. The movie chronicles a family’s migration to Hawaii from southern Polynesia in the late 1700’s. It is based on the life of Iwi Henere, originally from New Zealand , who now lives on Maui . The story briefly deals with the introduction of the missionaries, then fast-forwards to 1942 after the bombing of Pear Harbor and the training mission that fly over Kahoolawe .
