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Bluestone Union / Bluestone


Cleveland, 1970-5, 2012-present

Bluestone Union were a very popular band in the Cleveland club scene in the early 1970s. The band was started by musicians from the South Euclid area (the band got their name from Bluestone street in SU, near where founding member Wally Gunn lived) amd then merged with a Mentor based band called Celebration. The classic lineup included Ron Sucalac (lead guitar/vocals), Bill Callaghan (rhythm guitar and vocals), Mike Kwitowski (lead vocals, keyboards), Kirt Campbell (lead vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards), Wally Gunn (drums, vocals), and Gerald (Gary) Braden (bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals). Bluestone Union, like the other Cleveland bands of the time, were primarily a cover band. Bluestone's forte was British rock from the present and the 1960s.

In winter of 1974 the band went through several changes. Mike, Kirt, Bill, and Ron departed, and Gary and Wally added AJ Robey on vocals and sax in January of 1974. A source at the time has Robey's first gig on Wednesday, Jan 30. Robey had been in Heaven, and Heaven's guitar player Al Retay joined a couple months later, with with Mark Avsec on keyboards. Mike Gerchak, formerly of Sunrise, was also noted as a member in December 1974. When Retay and Avsec joined the band, they dropped the 'Union' from their name. This version of the band was leaned strongly into the glam/New York Dolls style, primarily thanks to AJ Robey, who was one of the most 'rock star' styled front men in the Cleveland area.

Bluestone ended in early 1975, with AJ Robey and Al Retay joining Lovers Lane with Neil Giraldo. Gary Braden and Wally Gunn also continued to active in bands, Wally most notably in the Baloney Heads.

Bluestone recorded several demos but never released any recordings. The group performed some original songs along with the covers.

In 2012 four of the original members reformed the band and they are still active in the Cleveland area.