Dan Hartman – born December 8, 1950, in West Hanover Township, Pennsylvania – was a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist best known for his solo hits “Instant Replay” (1978) and “I Can Dream About You” (1984) as well as the writer of the Edgar Winter Group classic “Free Ride” (1972) and James Brown’s “Living in America” (1985). He began his professional music career in 1964 when he joined his brother’s band The Legends. Initially reluctant to join the band – he preferred Motown over the British Invasion sound – he eventually became the leader of the band by the early 1970s. Although they released a few singles, which were mostly cover versions, the band did not gain any commercial traction. He was eventually introduced to Johnny Winter and began backing him while also a member of The Legends. Shortly thereafter, he left his own band and Johnny Winter’s band to play with Johnny’s younger brother Edgar Winter and his band in 1972. Dan Hartman became Edgar’s bassist, guitarist, and vocalist, writing or co-writing much of their material. The group’s best-known song, “Free Ride,” was written and sung by Dan Hartman, and went on to become a classic rock favorite. Around this time, Dan Hartman had a now-iconic outfit designed for him called the Bass Suit which featured a large pocket in the pelvic area for him to insert his bass into. He launched a solo career in 1976 and scored his first solo hit two years later with “Instant Replay,” a disco track that climbed to number 29 on the Hot 100. The following year, he issued the album Relight My Fire (1979), which featured a disco version of “Free Ride.” Dan Hartman scored his next big hit, “I Can Dream About You,” in 1984 and reached number 6 on the Hot 100. The song was originally featured on the soundtrack to Streets of Fire but also ended up on his album of the same name. While that was his last solo hit, Dan Hartman released songs on movie soundtracks including Fletch (1985), Ruthless People (1986), and Scrooged (1988). As a songwriter, musician, and producer, he collaborated with many artists including The Plasmatics, Nona Hendryx, Steve Winwood, Paul King, John Waite, Tina Turner, Holly Johnson, Joe Cocker, Dusty Springfield, and Peter Brown. His best known collaboration as co-songwriter and producer was James Brown’s 1985 song “Living in America,” an international hit taken from the soundtrack of Rocky IV. Diagnosed with AIDS in the late 1980s, Dan Hartman died from a brain tumor on March 22, 1994, at the age of 43.
