New Stamps Pay Tribute to the Stars of the Big-Band Era
Big bands defined jazz, swing and other popular music in the 1930s and ‘40s. The music carried folks through the Great Depression and World War II.
To help ensure that the music is not forgotten, the U.S. Postal Service has added some of the most influential musicians from the era to its Legends of American Music stamp series and unveiled the big-band stamps at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson last week.
Eight new stamps were added to the music stamp series, which began with a commemorative Elvis Presley stamp in 1993.
“We’re proud to put these performers back on stage,” said Joe Wilson, a postal official with the Long Beach office who unveiled the stamp. “The music appeals to just about everyone and we’re sure the stamps will be just as popular.”
The bandleaders portrayed on the new stamps include Count Basie, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and Benny Goodman. The four songwriters on the stamps are Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, Dorothy Fields and Johnny Mercer.
Many of the legendary musicians’ family members attended the unveiling, which followed a national unveiling at Carnegie Hall in New York.
The commemorative stamps are available in post offices.
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