Click Here to Email Gary@bluestoneivory.com

It’s like a dream come true.

Being one of the very original members of BlueStone Ivory I can’t describe how excited this is to have the band back together after 25 years.  Since giving up playing music in 1974, I didn’t think I would ever have this chance again.  It’s like a scene out of the Blues Brothers movie…in fact I can recall many times over the past 25 years dreaming of getting a phone call just like the one I got in December of 1998 saying “We’re getting the old band back together”.

My music career started as a freshman at Moeller High School. I knew I had music in my blood from early childhood piano lessons and the fact that most of my relatives on my mother’s side play music. Our high school band director said I would be perfect on clarinet. But I wanted to play saxophone. I was intrigued with seeing the sax player at a Lonnie Mack concert in Lawrenceburg, Indiana when I was 13 years old. (Lonnie Mack, The Wham of That Memphis Man is my second cousin) That really impressed me. But I studied clarinet and shortly thereafter easily picked up the sax.

My first professional group was RENE’S ORCHESTRA. The cute four, Ted Donohoue on guitar, Rick Hagee on piano, Fritzie Schatzle on drums and myself Gary RENE’ Rossignol on clarinet and sax. The four of us grew up together from the first grade at St. Michael grade school in Sharonville. We were cute because at the age of only 14 we played the old standards for weddings and K of C dances. As we entered our late teens, we added players: another sax (Steve Gallant), 2 trumpets (Dan Hunt & Mike Lenahan) a trombone (Bob Hagee), and a bass guitar (Steve Leigh). Rick Hagee added the Hammond B-3 to his keyboards and Mike Russell took over on drums.  “Sound On Stage” was born in 1968 and we became BlueStone Ivory early 1970.

I left BlueStone Ivory to go on the road with “Chocolate & Vanilla and The First Exit”. That lasted about 2 years and I came home to my high school sweetheart bride Mary Jo in time to become a daddy. After a few years in sound system design and sales, I went on the road as the personal sound engineer for some very prestigious entertainers for the next 10 years. Johnny Mathis, Lou Rawls, Englebert Humperdink, Whalen Jennings, Marvin Gaye, Dolly Parton, Steve Martin, Air Supply, Lawrence Welk, Bob Hope and various other groups.

Well, all good things must come to an end, as did my career in entertainment. I was burnt out and needed to change direction. After managing the family business “Ross TV Service” for a few years I decided to go into real estate. I was licensed in 1986 and have built a fabulous career with my wife Mary Jo. I spent over 25 years at RE/MAX in Cincinnati. With a couple other broker stops along the way I am back at RE/MAX Preferred Group for the past 5 years doing what I love to do helping many people as their real estate expert. (Visit my website www.RockinCincy.com)

You can hear me on Saturday mornings from 9:00 – 10:00 am on WDJO 1480AM & 99.5FM as I host my own radio show called “The Rock & Roll Real Estate Hour”. My guests and I will rock your world of real estate facts with a flare of entertainment. The show is streamed live on Facebook. www.Facebook.com/Gary.Rossignol

You will always hear a special chosen sound clip of BlueStone Ivory at the end of each show. The Buyers are Knockin cuz my Houses are Rockin.

But the music bug just wouldn’t leave my family. My first daughter Aimee picked up my flute while in 6th grade and blew notes. She got the music bug and eventually went on and majored in music on scholarship and mastered the flute at Ohio State University. My second daughter Jennifer also played flute as my third daughter Stephanie played clarinet, both in the marching and concert bands at Lakota West High School. Today, Aimee works as a teacher in Oak Hills School district with special needs children. Her and Dale (Stage manager for morning news at Fox 19) gave us a granddaughter Brianna (who plays flute) and grandson Andrew (who plays sax). Both are in college and continue to play music. Jennifer has graduated from Columbus College of Art and Design & is working at LemonGrenade as a Creative Graphic designer & brand identity specialist. Her and Eric (Customer service manager at Mel’s Auto Glass) have given MJ and I a beautiful granddaughter Maddy. Stephanie our youngest graduated from UC with a double major in Finance and Accounting. She is employed with Champion Windows as their CPA and loves it. Her and Matt Benson (Head Chef at Jags Restaurant) gave MJ and me two granddaughters Brynnlee & Addy.

All good things don’t have to end as the Beat Goes on…