Legendary soul singer Marvin Gaye and iconic dancer, actor and singer Gregory Hines will be immortalized on Forever stamps by the U.S. Postal Service, according to The Philadelphia Tribune.
The stamps, which will be released in 2019, are part of the Postal Service’s entertainment, historical and cultural figures series.
Gaye is featured as the “Prince of Soul” in the Music Icon series. His picture was designed by art director Derry Noyes, who was inspired by historic photographs of the crooner.
Ron Brewington, executive director for the Los Angeles chapter of the Motown Alumni Association, launched a global campaign for a commemorative stamp, according to BlackAmericaWeb.
“Brewington has been spearheading a worldwide campaign (‘A Stamp For Marvin’) since June 2003 to get a commemorative U.S. postage stamp for singer Marvin Gaye,” according to the site. “He also conducted a concurrent campaign of celebrities along with the unanimous support of a resolution by the Los Angeles City Council, former Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to get this unique and special honor for the deceased singer.”
According to the Postal Service, the “stamp pane is designed to resemble a vintage 45 rpm record sleeve. One side of the pane includes the stamps, brief text about Gaye’s legacy, and the image of a sliver of a record seeming to peek out the top of the sleeve. Another portrait of Gaye appears on the reverse along with the Music Icons series logo.”
Hines’ stamp was also designed by Noyes and was based on a 1988 photo of the star by Jack Mitchell, the Tribune reported.
“The miniature works of art illustrated in the 2019 stamp program offer something for everyone’s interest about American history and culture,” Mary-Anne Penner, executive director of stamp services at the Postal Service, told the Tribune.
American poet Walt Whitman will also be commemorated with a 2019 Forever stamp.
