The Classic Rock Connection webpage was begun in 1998 by Gary S. Hartman, a musician and classic rock fan, as a means to document the history, discography and genealogy of classic rock bands of primarily the 1960s and 1970s. Through the years, the page was hosted on a variety of servers, either free, a home ISP or that of a friend with a registered domain (a rarity in the early days of the internet). The page grew to contain a list of nearly 600 bands and solo artists during the period between 1999 and around mid-2013, according to the latest revision date seen on some of the band pages. Maintaining and constantly updating a website over many years, decades even, requires a degree of dedication and tenacity. Gary managed to flesh out roughly two thirds of the bands and artists he listed with genealogies and discographies. Why the page fell dormant around a decade ago is uncertain, and it appears we may never know why. Sadly, Gary passed away in the summer of 2022 at age 68, and his obituary reflects his love of music, and especially of classic rock and bluegrass.

The goal going forward will be to fill in as many of the blanks as possible left behind on the original page, to expand on the existing information, as well as to document classic rock bands born of the 1980s and after (yes, they do exist).