USPS celebrates American music trailblazers
American music lovers can now pay tribute to their favorite icons through the new Music Icons stamp series from the U.S. Postal Service. Direct mail marketers can use the first stamp in the collection, the Lydia Mendoza Forever Stamp, right away in their campaigns. Ensure consumers receive the mailing pieces, however, with postal mailing software.
Stamp honors country music star
Dedicated on May 15 at the Guadalupe Cultural Center in San Antonio, Texas, the stamp collection honored Lydia Mendoza's profound influence to the region's Tejano music. The Houston-born guitarist and soloist was the first female star in the male dominated Tejano music scene in the 20s and 30s, according to The Houston Press.
Mendoza is a celebrated pioneer of Mexican-American country music who recorded more than 1,000 songs during her seven-decade career, according to the USPS. The National Endowment for the Arts honored Mendoza with a National Heritage Award in 1982 and President Bill Clinton awarded her the National Medal of the Arts in 1999 for her significant contributions to American music.
The Lydia Mendoza Forever Stamp was created using an updated publicity photo from the 50s with the Texas flag superimposed over the image. The reverse side of the stamp features a larger version of the photo and the Music Icons series logo. The forever stamp was designed by Neal Ashby, a professor at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, and Patrick Donahoe, postmaster general, along with Antonio Alcalá, art director for the USPS.
Marie Dominguez, vice president for government relations and public policy, said the stamp is a tribute to the immense influence of the Tejano icon.
"The Postal Service is proud to introduce its new Music Icons stamp series with the issuance of this Forever Stamp honoring the first lady of Tejano music, Lydia Mendoza," Dominguez said. "Her impact on music guarantees her place in American music history, and today her legacy continues on 30 million postage stamps."
Mendoza will be followed later this year by Johnny Cash in the summer and Ray Charles in the fall.
Utilizing special issue stamps allow direct mail campaigns to pop in consumers' mailboxes, but it also makes postal mailing software essential to ensure all mailing pieces reach their destinations. Address validation allows the correct customers to receive materials, and businesses can connect with clients who admire American music through the new stamp collection.