Hartman has been renowned for his musical versatility. In his last will and testament, Hartman created the Dan Hartman Arts and Music Foundation (located in Los Angeles, California) with Charlie Midnight as his sole trustee. At the time of his death, Hartman was recording a solo album for CHAOS/Columbia. The record label had no immediate plans to release Hartman's unfinished work. In 1996, it was announced that EMI Music Publishing purchased Hartman's complete catalog. During the same year, Tom Robinson released the song “Connecticut” in memory of Hartman. The song appears on Robinson's album "Having It Both Ways". Years after Robinson’s tribute, Kathy Hartman—as frontwoman of the band Signal 30—released “A Song for Dan” in memory of her brother. She has also released the song “Bad Movies”, which she had co-wrote with her late brother.