Keepsake
Keepsake is the Barbershop Harmony Society's 1992 International Quartet Champion.
For the Harmony, Inc. champion quartet, look here instead.
Quartet Members
Winning Members:
- Tenor: Roger Ross
- Lead: Joe Connelly
- Bari: Tony De Rosa
- Bass: Don Barnick
Replacement members:
- Bass - Gary Lewis
Contest Placement
International
| 1991 | 1992 |
|---|---|
| 2nd | 1st |
District (SUN)
- 1991 - 1st
Recordings
| The Entertainer (1996) | Once Upon A Time (1994) | Without A Song (1992) |
|---|---|---|
| Make 'Em Laugh | There's A Brand New Gang On The Corner | When The Saints Go Marching In |
| Penthouse Serenade | I'll Be A Song And Dance Man Again | Sweet, Sweet Roses Of Morn |
| Eyes Medley | Rain Medley | Lullaby In Ragtime |
| Lost In The Stars | Is This Just Another Song About Love | 'Way Down Yonder In New Orleans / That Ain't Heaven, That's New Orleans |
| I Love A Piano | Chances Are | Down Where The Swanee River Flows |
| For Sentimental Reasons | Last Night On The Back Porch, I Loved Her Best Of All | My Melancholy Baby |
| Heather On The Hill | Moonlight Brings Memories | I'm Gonna Live Till I Die |
| Blue Velvet | Easy Street | Mona Lisa |
| Drivin' Me Crazy | Ring Out The Bells In Dixieland | Blue Skies |
| My Romance | Roses Of Picardy | May I Never Love Again |
| Royal Garden Blues | Sweet Georgia Brown | I'll Fly Away |
| Somewhere | I Only Have Eyes For You | I'll Walk With God |
| The Entertainer | How Could You Believe Me / It's A Sin To Tell A Lie Medley | Let A Bass Man Lead The Way |
| How Deep Is The Ocean | Once Upon A Time | Without A Song |
Extended History
Keepsake of Polk County, Orlando and Winter Park, Florida won the gold in 1992 in New Orleans
Keepsake was a quartet with the ability to reach across the footlights and grabs the hearts of the audience with their music. Their expressive song selection included charts written and arranged by Lou Perry, Renee Craig, Bob Disney, Greg Volk and Clay Hine. Roses of Picardy was a popular choice during their winning year and considered as the unofficial song of the contest in the Superdome. They reached the top with the help of top coaches like Larry Ajer, Jim Casey, Dave LaBar and Paul Gallagher.
They were a popular quartet and booked on many chapter shows across the country as well as travels to Italy and the French Riviera. They produced three fine recordings, The Entertainer, Once Upon A Time and Without A Song.
Roger Ross started singing barbershop at age 10 in Terre Haute, Indiana. After relocating to Florida in 1972, he sang in his first quartet on baritone with his dad in the quartet Elements of Harmony, then Center of Attraction (1980, with brother, Rusty). This was Roger’s first taste of the International contest stage and subsequently made nine more trips to the Int’l stage singing three different parts and with several quartets who also won the Sunshine District quartet championship: Popular Choice (1982-tenor), Cheerful Noise (1985-lead) and One Shot Deal (1988-lead, w/ Tony De Rosa) and Keepsake (1991-tenor). Roger is one of three members to have won FOUR Sunshine District Championships. The others were Sean Mulligan (5) and Tony De Rosa (4).
Roger was also director of Orlando’s Orange Blossom Chorus. He later led Winter Park’s Sunshine Jubilee Chorus to a district championship in 1988 and directed the Tampa Bay Heralds of Harmony in International competition in Salt Lake City in 2004. He has been a permanent “sub” with the famous Dapper Dans of Disney World since 1978, is former Dean of Sunshine Sizzle HEP school, was SUN District Barbershopper of the Year in 1987, is a SUN HOF inductee and served as President of the Association of International Champions (AIC). He, along with Tony DeRosa, currently sings tenor with the quartet Main Street with whom they both earned international first place medals in 2017.
This was Joe Connelly’s second of four gold medals. At the age of 13, young Joe wasn’t yet awesome but joined the Southern Gateway Cincinnati chapter and learned at the knee of his dad (Mike – bari of the Roaring 20’s). He won gold in 1987 with Interstate Rivals. “Awesome Joe” moved to Florida and directing the Orlando Orange Blossom Chorus to a repeat district championship in 1989. A certified Interpretation judge, Joe also served on the Harmony College Faculty many years.
He has been an active and popular coach of men’s and women’s quartets and choruses. One of his quartets was Showtime (1993 International Queens of Harmony). Three weeks after winning his gold in New Orleans, Joe married Showtime’s outstanding lead, Debbie. He continued his quest for gold with Old School having placed 5th at International in 2008 on their first attempt. Old School eventually went on to win in 2011, making Joe the first four-time international gold medalist in the society.
Don Barnick is the only two-time gold medalist to win on both tenor and bass. In seventh grade he got hooked on barbershop and formed his first foursome, The Tuneagers. At 18 he began directing the SAI Lake Erie Seaway (SAI) and later directed the Lakewood Gold Coast Choruses. In 1973 he moved to Florida and sang in Brush and Lather 4, American Tradition and Phase IV quartets. Don also sang with the Orange Blossom Chorus and the Tin Types quartet (with Dick Kneeland at that time, a Dapper Dans' Lead singer, Bill Wood, and Chuck Pritchett).
Barnick moved to Chicago and joined the Grandma's Boys who won gold in 1979. They retired in 1985 and he moved back to Florida and sang baritone with SideKicks placing top ten three times at International. Don is also a three-part sub for the Dapper Dans of Disney World and sings in a fun quartet with his wife Ellen called 3 Flirts and a Skirt.
This win made Tony De Rosa (19) the youngest member to win the gold. Tony grew up in a barbershop family and started at the age of 7 with his dad, Joe, director of the Chorus of the Genesee in Rochester, New York. In 1981 they moved to Florida where Papa Joe directed the Pride of the Polk chorus. The family is total barbershop with Mom, a Harmony, Inc. Champion (1979) and sister, Chris, singing with Toast of Tampa Sweet Ads. Tony started singing with a quartet at age 10 with Cypress Chord Club, 1984 district champion and 1985 International competitor. He joined Roger in One Shot Deal. He went on to win with PLATINUM in 2000 and Max Q in 2007. He sings lead with Main Street who earned an international first place medal in 2017. His current quartet, Three and A Half Men, won the international contest in 2024, making him the first barbershopper to win the gold medal five times.
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