Todd Rundgren

Todd Rundgren was born on the outskirts of Philadelphia. He formed the garage-rock band Nazz in 1967 with drummer Thom Mooney and keyboard player/vocalist Robert "Stewkey" Antoni. Their first gig was in July 1967, opening for The Doors at the Town Hall in Philadelphia. Nazz was the first outlet for Todd's song "Hello It's Me." Todd recorded a new version of the song on his certified gold 1972 album Something/Anything.

"Hello It's Me" was the first song Todd ever wrote, and ultimately became his best-known. He explains its sophistication as being because he'd been such an avid listener.

Singer-songwriter Laura Nyro asked Todd to be her bandleader in the '60s, but despite admiring Nyro's work Todd couldn't abandon his band Nazz, which had just signed a record contract.