Legendary rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix put his stamp on music, and now Americans can put Hendrix's stamp on letters.
A new Forever stamp honoring Hendrix was released on Thursday as part of the U.S. Postal Service's Music Icons series. Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, and Tejano musical pioneer Lydia Mendoza have also been honored in the stamp series.
"I am deeply touched and so are other members of the Hendrix family by the issuance of this stamp, and I wish to thank the United States Postal Service for bestowing one of our nation’s highest honors on my brother Jimi,” said sister Janie Hendrix in a statement. "While my brother has been cited many times as being among the most influential musicians of all time, the recognition implicit in his being portrayed on a U.S. postage stamp ranks as an unparalleled honor."
Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current first-class postage stamp price, currently 49 cents. Hendrix's stamp is self-adhesive, and was created by artist Rudy Guttierez and designer Greg Breeding.
"(Guttierez) created the selvage and stamp art with acrylic paint and colored pencils," the Postal Service said in a statement. "His choice of colors and designs introduced elements of movement and rhythm with an almost musical flow, paying homage to the 1960s without directly imitating the era’s art."
Hendrix, considered a master of the electric guitar, died in 1970 at age 27. A new movie about his life, with Andre Benjamin of the band Outkast playing Hendrix, premiered Wednesday night at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Musicians including Robby Krieger of The Doors and Slash of Guns N' Roses honored Hendrix with a concert after the stamp was officially unveiled Thursday night at the festival.