The man who turned the National Anthem inside out with his performance of The Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock will become the latest musician to be honoured by the US Postal Service. A Jimi Hendrix Forever stamp will be introduced on March 13 as part of the post office’s Music Icon series.
The unveiling of the stamp will take place at the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas, with a free outdoor performance by such rock musicians as Slash, the MC5’s Wayne Kramer, Dave and Phil Alvin of the Blasters, Rusty Anderson of Paul McCartney’s touring band and others.
The 2014 Music Icons series is also slated to include a Janis Joplin stamp later this year; next year, James Brown is on tap to get his own stamp.
The Postal Service launched the Music Icons series in 2013 with stamps recognising Ray Charles, Johnny Cash and Tejano singer Lydia Mendoza.
In 1993, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Ritchie Valens, Clyde McPhatter and Otis Redding were saluted with postage stamps. Presley’s stamp became the biggest seller in Postal Service history, and it’s due to be brought back in 2015. In the future, stamps are planned to salute John Lennon, Sam Cooke, Tammy Wynette, Bill Monroe, Roy Orbison, Jim Morrison, Freddy Fender, Fats Waller, Willie Dixon and Sarah Vaughan.
Michael Jackson is also due for a stamp (not part of the Music Icons series), but a date has not been set.
