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Headline, July 15, 2006
Judy Garland
Stamp A Huge Hit!
Legions of fans joined the U.S.
Postal Service to honor legendary actress and singer Judy
Garland with a commemorative postage stamp. The Judy Garland
stamp is the 12th in the U.S. Postal Service's "Legends of
Hollywood" stamp series. The 39-cent stamp, available initially
only in New York, can be purchased on usps.com and is
also now available at most post offices nationwide. The design of
the stamp is especially striking!
"The U.S. Postal Service is proud to
salute one of the most loved Hollywood legends of all time, Judy Garland,"
said Anita Bizzotto, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President
for the U.S. Postal Service, who dedicated the stamp. "This stamp is a
lasting tribute to her extraordinary legacy."
 Joining Bizzotto at the stamp unveiling
ceremony was Judy Garland's daughter and son, Lorna and Joe Luft;
Garland's grandchildren, Jesse and Vanessa Richards; Turner Classic Movie
host and film historian Robert Osborne; renowned singer and songwriter
Michael Feinstein; singer and songwriter Rufus Wainwright; American
Playwright Terrance McNally; and acclaimed Jazz singer Diane Schurr. Liza
Minnelli, daughter of Judy Garland, taped a special greeting that was
viewed during the ceremony.
"Of all the honors accorded to my mother
during her life and afterwards, this recognition by the U.S. Postal
Service ranks as one of the greatest," said Lorna Luft. "I can't think of
a better place to unveil the stamp than at Carnegie Hall, site of her
greatest performance. This stamp is an amazing way for old fans of my
mother to honor her legacy and for new fans to discover the magic that was
Judy Garland."
The venue for the dedication ceremony is
the same location where Garland performed the legendary 1961 Judy at
Carnegie Hall concert. Her performance was heralded as "the greatest night
in show business history." The recording of her performance became famous,
topping sales lists for 13 weeks and earning her five Grammy Awards.
Garland appeared in 32 feature films,
winning international fame as Dorothy, the girl who rides a tornado from
her home in Kansas to the imaginary land of Oz in the 1939 musical The
Wizard of Oz. In addition, she was a best-selling recording artist who
released more than a dozen albums and nearly 100 singles and made hundreds
of radio broadcasts. She starred in 30 of her own television shows and
made guest appearances on almost as many others. Her live performances
frequently broke box office records for theaters, concert halls and
nightclubs.
Art director Ethel Kessler designed the
stamp using a portrait of Garland by Tim O'Brien, an artist living in
Brooklyn, NY. O'Brien's portrait is based on a publicity photo for A Star
Is Born. Garland's signature appears at the bottom of the stamp. The photo
on the selvage shows her in her signature role, as Dorothy in The Wizard
of Oz.
To purchase the Judy Garland stamp, visit
the online Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop. There are 6 philatelic
products available for this stamp issuance.
459461 - First Day Cover - $0.77
459462 - FDC Full Pane - $10.30
459465 - Digital Color Postmark FDC - $1.50
459484 - Uncut Press Sheet - $46.80
459493 - Cancellation Keepsake (FP w/FDC) - $8.57
459499 - Digital Color Postmark Keepsake w/DCP - $9.30 |
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