Allen Toussaint (Black Heritage Series) (US 2025)

From the USPS press release November 15, 2024:

In recent years, the Black Heritage series has celebrated a man one year and a woman the next. Next year, the 48th stamp in the series will honor Allen Toussaint (1938–2015), the virtuoso pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer responsible for scores of hits across multiple genres. Designed by Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, the stamp features a photograph taken by Bill Tompkins in New York City in 2007.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent information at the top.

Updated February 28^th:
The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5957.

Updated January 3^rd:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.95″x1.41″The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.73″x1.08″

The Special Postmark, which may be used by other post offices, measures 2.74″x1.08″

Updated December 30^th:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
USPS Stamps Its Approval on Allen Toussaint’s Musical Legacy with 48th Black Heritage Stamp

What The 48th stamp in the Black Heritage series honors the legendary musician and songwriter Allen Toussaint (1938-2015). An icon of New Orleans music, Toussaint’s contributions to rhythm and blues (R&B), jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll have left an enduring mark on American music.

The first-day-of-issue event for the Allen Toussaint Black Heritage stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #AllenToussaintStamp and #BlackHeritageStamp.

Who Gary Barksdale, chief postal inspector, U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Quint Davis, chief executive officer, Festival Productions Inc.

When Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at 11 a.m. CST

Where:
George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center
1225 N. Rampart St
New Orleans, LA 70116

RSVP Attendees are encouraged to register at usps.com/blackheritagestamp

Background Music icon Allen Toussaint’s legacy continues to inspire. A prolific pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer, Toussaint left an indelible mark on New Orleans music and beyond.

His legendary career spanned decades, producing countless hits and collaborations with a wide array of artists. From classic songs such as “Fortune Teller” and “Southern Nights” to his behind-the-scenes work, Toussaint’s influence continues to resonate globally.

President Barack Obama recognized Toussaint with the National Medal of Arts in 2013. His previous honors include induction into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2012, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011, the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2022, the New Orleans City Council renamed Robert E. Lee Boulevard for Toussaint, who lived on the four-mile-long thoroughfare during the last years of his life.

Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp using a photograph by Bill Thompkins.

The Allen Toussaint stamp will be issued in panes of 20. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Updated December 26^th:
On January 30, 2025, in New Orleans, LA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Allen Toussaint stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 486000). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 30, 2025, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

New Orleanian Allen Toussaint (1938-2015) may have done more than anyone else to shape the special blend of rhythm and blues for which the city is beloved, and to put it out to the wider world. The 48th stamp in the Black Heritage series celebrates this virtuoso pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger, and producer responsible for scores of hits across multiple genres. The stamp artwork is a photograph of Toussaint at the piano, taken in New York City in 2007, by Bill Tompkins. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

Automatic Distribution. A special dedication postmark will be available.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office® or at The Postal Store® website at store.usps.com/store/home. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope