Marvin Gaye Forever Stamp on Sale Nationwide Today

On what would have been Marvin Gaye‘s 80th birthday, the U.S. Postal Service today honored the music legend with the dedication of a new commemorative Forever stamp during a first-day-of-issue ceremony at the Greek Theatre, where he once performed.

“The Postal Service is honored to recognize Marvin Gaye, the Motown legend, with a stamp on his birthday in this venue that held a special place in his heart,” said Gary R. Barksdale, chief postal inspector, U.S. Postal Service, and the stamp ceremony’s dedicating official. “Known as the ‘Prince of Soul,’ Gaye was a man whose timeless music was a true catalogue of human emotions that inspired, informed and entertained the world.”

Gaye was one of the most influential music performers of his generation. He helped shape the buoyant sound of the Motown record label in the 1960s and broaden the scope of R&B music in the 1970s.

Released in 1971, his expansive masterwork, “What’s Going On,” is widely considered one of the greatest recordings in the history of American popular music.

The artwork for this stamp features a portrait of Marvin Gaye inspired by historic photographs. Gaye‘s name appears vertically on the right side of the stamp. “USA” and the Forever denomination are in the top left.

The stamp pane is designed to resemble a vintage 45-rpm record sleeve. One side of the pane includes the stamps and brief text about Gaye‘s legacy, with the image of a sliver of a record seeming to peek out the top of the sleeve. Another portrait of Gaye, also inspired by historic photographs, appears on the reverse along with the Music Icons series logo.

News of the stamp is being shared on social media using the hashtags #MarvinGayeStamp and #MusicIcons. Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shop