Benatar Hits Huntington With Her Best Shot

The early MTV generation had a lot of women in music, but one of the top-selling music and video stars hailed from Long Island.

Last night, music legend Pat Benatar signed copies of her autobiography, "Between a Heart and a Rock Place" at Book Revue in Huntington.

"There's a book by Rob Sheffield called 'Love is a Mix Tape' and in it he wrote 'According to Western philosopher Pat Benatar, love is a battlefield. That says it all!" said Huntington resident Jillian Coneys.

Coneys' friend, Vallerie Clark, added, "It's amazing to see a rock goddess. There are people of all ages here tonight. That's the sign of a truly great artist."

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Lindenhurst, Benatar rose to fame as a singer during the late 1970s and early 1980s with dozens of mega-hits such as "Heartbreaker" and "Hit Me with Your Best Shot."

Once the MTV audience caught a glimpse of the diminutive fashionista behind the powerful voice, girls across America began imitating her look, so much so that it was a featured highlight in the 1982 teen movie classic, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

During her career Benatar has had six platinum albums, four gold albums, and she won four consecutive Grammy awards in 1980-1983 for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female. She is also a member of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.

In 1982 she married her guitarist, Neil Giraldo, and together they have two daughters. Benatar and her husband first collaborated on her first album and continue to write and perform together. They have just started their summer tour and will perform at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square on August 25.

Fans from all over Long Island gathered at the Book Revue during the day to wait for their musical hero. "She is my icon from the 80s. I sang all her songs and dressed like her in my cover band," said Greenlawn resident Anu Magee.

In her biography, Benatar explained what it was like for her as a woman in the very masculine world or rock music. Her publisher, Harper Collins, describes the book as "a rock and roll story unlike any other, a remarkable tale of playing by your own rules, even if that means breaking a few of theirs." Benatar's book and additional tour dates are available on her website.