Recognizing the significance of American music in popular culture around the globe, the U.S. Postal Service® proudly launched the exciting Music Icons stamp series in 2013. The selected performers for the series, representing diverse eras and types of music, are featured on stamps with panes that feature the Music Icons logo so that each issue is branded like a record label release. Each pane resembles the sleeve of a 45 rpm single, with the sliver of a record seeming to peek out the top of one side, and a full color “cover” image on the other. Lydia Mendoza, one of the first and greatest stars of Tejano music, was the first artist to be honored with such a pane to inaugurate the series on May 15, 2013. The following month, Johnny Cash, the country music star known internationally as “the man in black,” was featured as the second installment of the series. The extraordinary composer, singer, and pianist, Ray Charles, became the third honoree on September 23, 2013. Continuing its recognition of musical innovation and diversity, the Postal Service™ proudly presents Jimi Hendrix as the fourth entry in the Music Icons series.
Widely recognized as one of the most creative and influential musicians of the 20th century, Jimi Hendrix inspired musical artists of his era with his innovative style that embraced the influences of rock, R&B, modern jazz, and blues. He laid the foundation for three new genres of music – heavy metal, jazz fusion, and funk, which left his indelible mark on pop music and popular culture in general. Hendrix was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the U.K. Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Rolling Stone ranked him #1 on its list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and #6 on its list of “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.” In 1991, Hendrix received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and two years later he was awarded a posthumous Grammy for lifetime achievement.
Issued on March 13, 2014, just before the Jimi Hendrix Celebration concert at the South by Southwest Outdoor Stage at Butler Park in Austin, TX, the new limited-edition Jimi Hendrix Forever® stamp features a vibrant design fashioned to evoke the movement and rhythm of the late singer and pay homage to the psychedelic rock era of the 1960s. The pane of 16 stamps features a painting of Hendrix’s face surrounded by colorful swirls and icons that reference song lyrics or aspects of the artist’s life. Visit Facebook at http://facebook.com/USPSStamps, Twitter@USPSstamps, or http://usps.com/stamps to view the stamp. The new Jimi Hendrix stamps may be purchased at local Post Offices, http://usps.com/stamps, http://eBay.com/stamps, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. For more information about the Music Icons series, visit http://uspsstamps.com.
— Stamp Services,
Marketing and Sales, 3-20-14
