Todd Rundgren, the "Ultimate Rock Cult Hero", has managed to cultivate a devoted fan base spanning over four decades, rivaled only by the Grateful Dead. Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Todd's early professional endeavors included stints with Money and Woddy's Truckstop, both of which achieved significant regional success.
However, it was during the late 1960s that Todd's remarkable guitar work truly reached a nationwide audience, courtesy of his role as lead guitarist for the blues-psychedelic band Nazz. As the primary songwriter and arranger for the group, Todd's musical range was showcased in the three albums Nazz produced, which seamlessly blended Southern blues, hard rock, and heavily orchestrated symphonies.
The band's eventual breakup in the early 1970s led Todd to release two solo albums under the moniker Runt. His solo breakthrough came in 1971 with "We Gotta Get You a Woman", and he subsequently scored big on the charts in 1973 with "I Saw the Light" and a reworked Nazz song, "Hello, It's Me", from the double album "Something/Anything?".
Despite being on the cusp of superstardom, Todd's reluctance to be pigeonholed into a specific genre may have contributed to his eluding mainstream success. His subsequent albums still featured love ballads, but also incorporated heavy guitar rock and occasionally, mini rock operas.
Todd's success as a music producer is equally impressive, particularly his work on Meat Loaf's iconic "Bat Out of Hell" album. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Todd formed the group Utopia, comprising accomplished musicians and vocalists.
In recent years, Todd has become a computer enthusiast, marketing various innovations, some of which have been intertwined with his music. He has also lent his musical talents to film and television scores. Notably, Todd maintains his own website, a testament to his enduring dedication to his craft.
