Todd Rundgren, pride of Upper Darby, belongs in the Rock Hall
Upper Darby is in the news again.
Wait, don’t turn the page. This is good news.
Aside from being home of one of the most diverse communities in the region – the notion of the American Dream, the melting pot – come to fruition, Upper Darby also takes a back seat to no one in another area. The arts.
They start them early in Upper Darby. An appreciation for music, the theater and performing arts is ingrained in kids as early as elementary school.
Many of them were lucky enough to fall under the tutelage of Brad Schoener, the “Music Man of Upper Darby.” Schoener was a music teacher, a veritable pied piper who infused his love of music into his students, from elementary school to high school.
Schoener lost his battle with cancer in 2009. He was just 49. But his memory – and the music – continues to this day in the district. The annual Brad Schoener Festival provides funds for music education programs in the district.
Then there is the nationally acclaimed Upper Darby Summer Stage Program. The longtime family tradition of the Dietzler family has been providing an outlet for the musical and acting talents of thousands of kids since 1976.
It counts among its many
Rundgren, known for hits such as “Hello, It’s Me,” and “We Gotta Get You a Woman,” was cited by the Hall as a “jack of all trades” who “continues to redefine the sound of rock & roll through genre-melding songwriting and production.”
starring alums none other than actress, author, comedienne and ‘Saturday Night Live’ star Tina Fey. She has never forgotten where she got her start, and where home is, often returning to the school and speaking to young people about her start.
Upper Darby does not disappoint when it comes to music either. The late Jim Croce, known for his hits such as “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” and “Operator” in the ‘70s, traces his roots to Upper Darby.
This week we were given another reminder of Upper Darby’s rich history in the arts.
On Tuesday, the pride of Upper Darby, Todd Rundgren, was nominated for the 2020 induction class for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Yes, Rundgren grew up in Upper Darby, and is a member of the Upper Darby High School class of 1966.
How’s this for a sense of timing.
As it turns out Rundgren just happened to be performing in the area night Tuesday night, at the Keswick Theater in Selinsgrove, appearing on a bill with former Monkee Mickey Dolenz, Christopher Cross and several others in what was referred to as the ‘It Was 50 Years Ago Today’ tour celebrating the Beatles White Album.
Rundgren brought the house down with his signature hit, “Hello, It’s Me.” He was serenaded by chants of “Hall of Fame” between songs.
The man once known as ‘The Runt’ made his bones playing local clubs and coffee houses in the Upper Darby-Delaware County area.
Rundgren, known for hits such as “Hello, It’s Me,” and “We Gotta Get You a Woman,” was cited by the Hall as a “jack of all trades” who “continues to redefine the sound of rock & roll through genre-melding songwriting and production.”
Rundgren got his start in the music biz when he formed power pop group Nazz in 1967. But he continued to hone his chops and eventually set out on a solo career.
He joined Albert Grossman’s Bearsville Records as a producer and engineer, a decision that quickly paid off. Rundgren earned his first top 20 hit with “We Gotta Get You a Woman” as part of his debut solo effort “Runt” from 1970.
His ambitious 1972 double album “Something/ Anything?” thrust him into the spotlight with iconic hits like “I Saw the Light” and “Hello It’s Me,” the latter reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Rundgren released 12 solo albums in the 1970s and 1980s, along with another nine with his progressive rock band Utopia.
He also became known as a musical guru in the studio, producing groundbreaking albums for the Patti Smith Group, Meat Loaf, Grand Funk Railroad, and the signature album for glam rockers the New York Dolls.
In 1983 he was nominated for a Grammy for his music video “Videosyncracy.”
“We can hear Todd Rundgren’s influence in everyone from Prince and Hall & Oates to Bjork and Daft Punk,” according to his bio from the Rock Hall of Fame.
This is actually this second consecutive year Rundgren has been nominated. He did not make the final cut last year.
Earlier this year he was one of only three Upper Darby natives featured in a 135-foot long mural on 69th Street. Rundgren is drawn riding a trolley with fellow musician Jim Croce and actress/writer Tina Fey.
Rundgren is one of 16 artists nominated for this year’s induction class, along with posthumous nods for rapper Notorious B.I.G. and superstar Whitney Houston.
Each year, five acts usually make it into the Hall following a vote by 1,000 people, including performers, music historians and industry experts. Fans are able to vote online. The top five vote-getters in the public poll form one ballot, which is weighted the same as the rest of the submitted ballots.
Let’s make this the year the rest of the world knows something Upper Darby and Delco have known for years.
Todd Rundgren belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The proud tradition of Upper Darby arts continues.