It has come to our attention that the United States Postal Service has contracted with an artist to start work on an official Bill Monroe postage stamp.
The Postmaster and the USPS Stamp Committee have been coy in discussing this question with the public, though their most recent statement in a letter to the IBMA in November 2010, seemed to place the Monroe stamp into the realm of the likely.
“I am pleased to inform you Bill Monroe is under consideration by the Committee for possible future stamp issuance. The Committee is responsible for reviewing stamp proposals and making subject and design recommendations to the Postmaster General.”
With this latest bit of information, it would seem that it’s just a matter of time. Yee hah!
From October 1, 2010 through to the end of September 2011, we will, each day, celebrate the life of Bill Monroe by sharing information about him and those people who are associated with his life and music career. This information will include births and deaths; recording sessions; single, LP and CD release dates; and other interesting tidbits. Richard F. Thompson is responsible for the research and compilation of this information. We invite readers to share any tidbits, photos or memories you would like us to include.
December 21, 2001 The estate sale and auction of the Bill Monroe memorabilia took place at the new Country Music Hall Of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. Among the items available were Monroe’s six mandolins, stage wear, furniture and household treasures from his house and farm. *
December 21, 2004 President Bush signed into law H.R. 4968, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 25 McHenry Street, Rosine, Kentucky, as the Bill Monroe Post Office. **
* The sale of selected mementos took place on the Friday (12/21), while more valuable items were auctioned on the Saturday (12/22).
** United States Postal Service Kentuckiana District Manager Ann C. Wright and The Honorable Ron Lewis, U.S. Representative for the Second Congressional District of Kentucky, officially renamed the Rosine, Kentucky Post Office the ‘Bill Monroe Post Office Building’ on August 23, 2005.
Monroe’s son, James, assisted in the renaming of the Post Office Building,
Local dignitaries were in attendance and the Wesley Phelps Memorial VFW Post 5766 Color Guard raised the Flag for the ceremony, during which a plaque detailing the new name for the Post Office was unveiled.
Footnote: If you would like to see the United States Postal Service issue a stamp to commemorate the life and work of Bill Monroe, please write to:
Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee Stamp Development
US Postal Service
1735 North Lynn Street
Room 5013
Arlington, Virginia 22209-6432
Petitions in support of this effort can be sent to the same address.
The IBMA has released a letter received the Stamp Services department of the United States Postal Service, noting that Bill Monroe is “under consideration” as the subject of a future stamp. This committee is responsible for making recommendations to the Postmaster General with regard to possible stamp subjects and designs.
It sounds to me like those petitions that folks have been sending along to the USPS have been having the desired effect!
The letter from Stamp Development Manager Terrence McCaffrey (through a subordinate) makes clear that while a Monroe stamp is being considered, a decision can not be made in time for a stamp to be issued during the Monroe Centennial year of 2011, a major goal of the Bill Monroe Stamp Campaign.
The letter states:
“As additional information, the Committee decides on new stamp subject recommendations far in advance of teh issue date in order to provide time for planning, design, production and distribution. Currently the 2011 and 2012 stamp programs are completed, and stamp subjects for the 2013 program and subsequent years are being selected. Although many of the subjects for upcoming new stamps have been identified, no public announcement of individual new stamps is made until the entire stamp program for that year has been approved.”
This letter is quite similar to ones received by other organizations who have submitted petitions to the USPS, though I’m not sure if they have indicated that a Monroe stamp is under consideration. We would love to see other letters if anyone would be willing to share them with Bluegrass Today.
But don’t let up with teh petitions and letters of support! Contact the Bill Monroe Stamp Campaign online to see how you can help.
From October 1, 2010 through to the end of September 2011, we will, each day, celebrate the life of Bill Monroe by sharing information about him and those people who are associated with his life and music career. This information will include births and deaths; recording sessions; single, LP and CD release dates; and other interesting tidbits. Richard F. Thompson is responsible for the research and compilation of this information. We invite readers to share any tidbits, photos or memories you would like us to include.
November 18, 2005 The Indiana Historical Society presented a musical tribute to Bill Monroe at the Basile Theatre, Indiana History Center, Indianapolis. The presentation, Back to Bean Blossom: The Life and Music of Bill Monroe, included performances of 15 of Monroe’s songs, several visual displays and a narration of Monroe’s life story. Part of the program focused on the story of Monroe’s thriving music park located in Bean Blossom, Indiana. The musicians were Mike Butler, Aaron Law, Talmadge Law, Homer Pass and three members of the Blue Grass Boys; Roger Smith, Vernon McQueen and Dwight Dillman. The narrators included one of Monroe’s friends, Colonel Jim Peva, as well as Cary Fields and Sam Goldsberry.
Jim Peva began attending events in the small town of Bean Blossom back in the days of the old Brown County Jamboree and he and his family remain an integral part of the festivals.
He is the author of Bean Blossom: Its People and Its Music (Infinity Publishing, 2006, ISBN-10: 0741432102, ISBN-13: 978-0741432100), a photographic history of Bean Blossom, Indiana. It highlights the many interesting people, including Bill Monroe, who have contributed to its success as a venue for the performance of music, including bluegrass, since 1940.
Alongside the pictures are some of Peva’s fascinating recollections of times at Bean Blossom and a short story about the friendship between his family and Bill Monroe.
In 2003 Peva initiated the campaign for the issue of a commemorative postage stamp depicting Bill Monroe. To date, the US Postal Service has not announced an intention to do so.
Jim’s efforts have now developed into a full-fledged citizen’s campaign, with networks of bluegrass lovers across the US collecting signatures and sending petitions along to the USPS.
To find out how you can become involved in this effort, visit BillMonroeStamp.org.
It’s exciting to see all the attention that is being given to the upcoming Bill Monroe centennial in 2011.
The ongoing campaign to have Bill Monroe memorialized with an official postage stamp from the US Postal Service is kicking into high gear. Visit www.billmonroestamp.org to find out how you can get on board.
Our friends at Grassware have created a new Bill Monroe stamp t-shirt, and are even donating a portion of the proceeds to the stamp campaign.
And we have learned a bit more about the Rural Rhythm Bil Monroe tribute CD which was referenced during our IBMA 2010 coverage. Plans are to record live during the 2011 Bean Blossom festival, much as they did during this year’s Graves Mountain Festival.
Here’s a sneak peak at one of the songs that are expected to be included – Mark Newton, Carl Jackson, Russell Moore, Mike Bub and Justen Haynes performing Mark’s original song Monrosine at the Rural Rhythm VIP Showcase last week.
Don’t think we have forgotten about the Bill Monroe Stamp Campaign, just because we haven’t mentioned in a few months!
A great many folks are collecting signatures on a petition to have Bill Monroe honored with a commemorative stamp from the US Postal Service.
Peter Thompson, long time host of Bluegrass Signal on KALW in San Francisco, sent along these photos he took at the California Bluegrass Association’s Grass Valley Festival in June. Bluegrass Signal airs Saturdays from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on KALW, and is also broadcast several times each week on WAMU’s Bluegrass Country.
Here’s the report Peter sent along with the photos:
“Here’s Randy Pitts (late of Keith Case, previously of the Freight & Salvage and other venerable organizations) signing the Monroe stamp petition as Laurie Lewis looks on.
Laurie had already signed.
Then Randy watches Kathy Kallick sign the petition in front of the Vern’s Stage, where Kathy & Laurie had just finished a tribute to Vern & Ray.”
We can all get involved in this effort. Anyone can download a copy of the petition, collect signatures, and send them on to the Postal Service. There is a web site with information about this campaign at www.billmonroestamp.org, and here are links to the various resources you need to take part.
Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
c/o Mr. Terrance W. McCaffrey
Manager of Stamp Development
U.S. Postal Service
1735 N. Lynn Street #5013
Arlington, VA 22209-643
Get on board!
UPDATE 10:00 a.m. – Cindy Baucom sent along this photo of hubby Terry Baucom signing the Bill Monroe Stamp petition at the High Country Bluegrass Festival in Boone, NC in July.
She told us that 10 pages of signatures were collected at the festival.
If you have news and/or photos of any efforts on behalf of the Bill Monroe Stamp campaign, please contact us.
Here’s another update on the ongoing campaign to petition the US Postal Service to honor Bill Monroe with his very own postage stamp – and we have some very encouraging news!
People and organizations all over the US have been circulating petitions and returning them to the manager of stamp services for the USPS. The campaign has picked up steam this year in the hope of seeing the stamp issued in 2012, which will mark the centennial of Bill Monroe’s birth on September 13.
The good news comes in the form of a letter from Terrence McCaffrey, manager of the USPS stamp development office, in response to a set of signed petitions turned in by the Seven Mountains Bluegrass Association in Pennsylvania.
The letter indicates that the Bill Monroe stamp is under consideration for issuance, and that subjects for the 2012 release schedule are now being selected. Now is the time to double down, folks!
You can find all the details to print petitions to be completed, and the addresses where they should be sent, here on Bluegrass Today. Take them to a jam or a bluegrass concert, get your family and friends to sign, irritate your neighbors…
If enough bluegrass lovers participate, we’ll all be able to celebrate the founder of bluegrass music with an official US postage stamp in 2012.
Here are a few more photos that just came in of prominent bluegrass artists hopping on the Bill Monroe Stamp campaign.
When The Infamous Stringdusters were at the Bluegrass Country studios yesterday in DC, Jen Hitt asked them to add their names to the petitions which will be sent to the US Postal Service requesting a commemorative Bill Monroe stamp.
Of course, they happily obliged, giving a big thumbs up to the whole concept.
See how you can become involved in helping ensure that the 100th anniversary of Big Mon’s birth is recognized with his own stamp. It’s easy, it’s fun… and it just may work!
We’ve made mention in the past about the campaign to convince the US Postal Service to issue a commemorative stamp honoring the musical contributions of Bill Monroe.
According to the USPS guidelines, such stamps can not be issued until ten years have passed since the person to be honored has died. As such, this campaign launched in 2006 and is heating up now with the goal of seeing the stamp issued in time for the centennial of Monroe’s birth, which will occur on September 13, 2011.
A number of bluegrass artists, organizations, events and personalities are trying to enlist the general bluegrass and Monroe-loving public to get involved in the hopes of swamping the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee with petitions until they cry for mercy!
Bluegrass Today enthusiastically joins in this effort, and encourages all our readers to pitch in where they can.
Here are a few suggestions for ways you can help make this happen:
Bluegrass Associations – make petitions available at meetings, jams and concerts – or consider printing them in your newsletter.
Bands – take petitions with you to shows, and encourage fans and friends to add their names.
Radio hosts – post information on the show or station’s web site and encourage listeners to download the petition. You might even find sponsors who would love to have petitions at their business locations in exchange for a mention.
Festivals – print a bunch of petitions and have a central signing point which you promote from the stage.
Music teachers – keep petitions in your lesson room and ask students to sign.
Everyone – contact your elected representatives and ask for their support in this effort.
Everyone – wear one of the shirts or hoodies from grassware.com with the Monroe stamp image. They make a great conversation starter, and a perfect opening to ask folks to sign the petition you just happen to be carrying with you!
There is a web site with information about this campaign at www.billmonroestamp.org, and here are links to the various resources you need to take part.
Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
c/o Mr. Terrance W. McCaffrey
Manager of Stamp Development
U.S. Postal Service
1735 N. Lynn Street #5013
Arlington, VA 22209-643
We have a number of photos of prominent grassers adding their names to the petitions which we will post from time to time, and we encourage anyone who hosts a stamp petition event to send us photos as well.
If we all look for creative ways to generate signatures, we’ll not only succeed in honoring Bill Monroe, but be helping spread the word about bluegrass music in the bargain.
