# 5349 - 2019 First-Class Forever Stamp - Black Heritage: Gregory Hines

US #5349
2019 Gregory Hines – Black Heritage Series

• Honors tap dancing legend Gregory Hines
• 42nd stamp in the Black Heritage series

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Series:  Black Heritage
Value:  55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  January 28, 2019
First Day City:  New York, New York
Quantity Issued:  40,000,000
Printed by:  Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method:  Offset, Microprint
Format:  Panes of 20
Tagging:  Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag

Why the stamp was issued:  To commemorate Gregory Hines, a great entertainer and unforgettable tap dancer. Also to continue the popular Black Heritage stamp series.

About the stamp design:  Pictures a 1988 photograph of Hines taken by Jack Mitchell.

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York City, appropriate given Hines’s time on Broadway.

About the Black Heritage series:  The Black Heritage Series began on February 1, 1978, with the issue of the 13¢ Harriet Tubman stamp (US #1744). Since then, the USPS has issued a new stamp in the series every year. A number of them have even been released in February in recognition of Black History month. As of 2023, it was the USPS’s longest-running stamp series of all time.

History the stamp represents:  Gregory Hines (1946-2003) was a born entertainer. His charisma and talent for improvisation shone on stage and screen.

Hines began tap dancing when he was just two years old, and began performing professionally at the age of five. He and his brother then toured the country as “The Hines Kids.” They performed together until Hines was in his 20s, after which he formed a jazz-rock band.

In the 1970s, Hines took Broadway by storm, dancing and singing his way to wide critical acclaim. His riveting performance in the lead role of Jelly’s Last Jam earned him a Tony Award. Hines then made the transition to film in 1981, appearing in Mel Brooks’ The History of the World, Part I. He would go on to appear in nearly 50 movies and television shows. His 1989 film Tap was credited with popularizing the style with modern audiences by combining it with modern music.

Hines’s greatest love was always tap dancing. He was well-known for his ability to improvise tap steps and he inspired a new generation of tappers. In 1988, he helped found National Tap Dance Day, which is celebrated around the world. He also hosted Gregory Hines Tap Dance America, which showcased veteran, established, and up-and-coming tappers. Hines once said that everything he did – singing, acting, and parenting – were all influenced by his love of dance.