The U.S. Postal Service is honoring legendary entertainer Gregory Hines with a Black Heritage Series Stamp, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The ceremony for the first day of issue was hosted Monday by Gary Barksdale, the acting chief postal inspector, at the Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York.
Hines was an actor, singer and choreographer who became revered for his unique style of tap dancing. The Postal Service highlighted his contribution to the dance style by using an image of him kneeling and showing off the taps on the bottom of his shoe for the stamp.
Fellow dance expert Debbie Allen shared the news of the stamp on her Twitter page. “Today marks the issue of the Gregory Hines – Black Heritage stamp,” she wrote. “Gregory Hines’ stamp honors one who is the American Dream and culturally relevant for all time.”
Hines appeared in films including The Cotton Club, White Nights, Running Scared and Waiting to Exhale. In 1997, he had his own series on CBS titled The Gregory Hines Show. He was also a recurring character on Will & Grace. Two years later, he voiced Big Bill on Nick Jr.’s animated series Little Bill, created by Bill Cosby.
The entertainer died of cancer in 2003. He was 57.
