In this candid conversation Billy Corgan sits down with Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo who lay bare the real stories behind 45 years of music, marriage, and refusing to play by anyone else’s rules. They reflect on their Roman Catholic upbringings—incense, confessions, and all—and how that shaped them as restless creatives unwilling to settle. From the powerful genesis of “Hell Is for Children” to the revelation that struck when Pat first heard Neil’s guitar, they describe forging a distinct rock identity with no safety net. They also get frank about living out of a Winnebago with a newborn in tow, the music industry’s disinterest in motherhood, and the intimate give-and-take that still sparks their writing sessions today. Whether it’s a new children’s book on grandparents, reimagining a classic in the studio, or standing up to label pressure in the ’80s, Pat and Neil share how trust, mutual respect, and a shared sense of purpose sustain them—onstage, offstage, and everywhere in between. Watch The Magnificent Others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BillyCorganTMO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.