2024 Bluegrass Music Stamps

2024 Bluegrass
• Honors Bluegrass music and its popularity in the United States

Stamp Category: Commemorative
Value: 68¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: March 15, 2024
First Day City: Oswensboro, Kentucky
Printing Method: Offset, Microprint
Format: Panes of 20
Watermark: Phosphor, Block Tag

History the stamp represents: The Appalachian region of the United States is home to one of the country’s unique musical styles – Bluegrass. A combination of gospel, blues, folk, and country, Bluegrass tunes are often lively narratives that will make you want to dance.

Bluegrass traces its roots to the arrival of British, Irish, and Scottish immigrants in the 1700s. Settling in Tennessee, Kentucky, the Carolinas, and Virginias, they sang about the hardships of farming or life in the hills. Over time, their tunes were blended with African American gospel and blues from the Mississippi Delta.

In 1939, the father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys debuted at the Grand Ole Opry. They became one of the most popular touring acts in the region and inspired the name of this new musical style. When Earl Scruggs joined the band in 1945, his three-finger banjo-picking style elevated them to a new level.

In the 1960s, Bluegrass festivals brought the music to towns across the country. Bluegrass became popular on the radio and was featured in films such as Bonnie and Clyde and Deliverance, as well as The Beverly Hillbillies television show. Bluegrass is still popular today, with festivals drawing large crowds and a new generation of musicians adapting the style to the times.

In 2024, the USPS issued a Forever stamp resembling a vintage Bluegrass concert poster.