2019-09-04 Wed

On 3rd September, the Royal Mail released a special set of 12 postage stamps to honour Sir Elton John. Eight non-denominated first-class stamps depict eight different Elton John album covers. Two £1.55 stamps and two first-class stamps are a part of a souvenir sheet. These four stamps showcase Elton John performing at various concerts. The stamps belong to Royal Mail’s Music Giants series.

Covers featured on the stamps include Honky Chateau (1972), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973), Caribou (1974), Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975), Sleeping With The Past (1989), The One (1992), Made In England (1995), Songs From The West Coast (2001). A record album sticks out of the right side of the album cover on every stamp.

The concerts pictured on the souvenir sheet include the 1973 Christmas show at the Hammersmith Odeon; the 1975 Dodger Stadium concert in Los Angeles; the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace and a 2018 concert at Madison Square Garden.

The popular artist and philanthropist has a diamond, 38 platinum or multi-platinum and 26 gold albums to his name. He has received 13 Ivor Novellos, five Grammys and the Grammy Legend Award, five BRITS, an Academy Award, a Tony Award and a Golden Globe. He has written famous songs for The Lion King and Billy Elliot.

Elton was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2013, he received the hall’s highest honour - Johnny Mercer Award. In 1998, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and received the Legion d’Honneur by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019.

Elton established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in the United States in 1992 and in the United Kingdom in 1993. The foundations have raised over $400 million in the last 25 years to tackle various medical and social issues related to AIDS.

Visit philamart to view and purchase variety of stamps from all over the world.

Image Source: Royal Mail