Issue date: July 21, 2021
From the June-July issue of Canada Post’s Details magazine:
When Stan Rogers (1949-1983) took the stage, guitar in hand, his presence was electric. Standing six foot four, with a deep, rumbling voice that rose and fell like waves on a Nova Scotia shore, he poured his heart and soul into every word he sang. Poetry set to music, his ballads laid bare the lives of the sailors, ranchers, miners and others whose stories had captured his imagination.
“Stan said things about people that were true. He loved talking and listening to people because he was interested in what they did and wanted to tell their story,” says his widow, Ariel Rogers. “He had an incredible gift for taking that life experience and turning it almost like a prism, so you saw the essence of the person rather than just a reflection.”
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, on November 29, 1949, Rogers spent many summers in Nova Scotia, visiting his mother’s hometown of Canso. It was there that he found his passion in traditional Maritime music. A skilful storyteller, Rogers sang about subjects that were both deeply personal and universally relatable. He took tales from the past and made them moving and meaningful in the present – from the raucous sea shanty “Barrett’s Privateers,” on his first album Fogarty’s Cove (1976), to the emotional anthem “Northwest Passage” (1981), the title track of the last release before his death.
Rogers was only 33 – with his career on the rise – when his life was cut tragically short in an airplane fire on June 2, 1983. Likened to such greats as Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, he left a legacy of 11 albums, most released posthumously, that have kept his music vibrant and alive for nearly 40 years. “It was never about him. It was the music that mattered,” says Ariel. “He always said, ‘I don’t care if I’m a star, but I wouldn’t mind being a comet.’ And that’s exactly what he was.”
Further details will be posted on the day of issue. Canada Post will also offer a framed souvenir for this issue:
It measures 16 in. x 22 in. / 406 mm x 559 mm and will cost $99.95.
[day-of-issue press release]
Canada Post celebrates legendary folksinger Stan Rogers
Stamp pays homage to artist’s musical legacy and love of the Maritimes
OTTAWA – Canada Post has released a stamp celebrating one of Canada’s most beloved and influential artists, folksinger Stan Rogers.
Born November 29, 1949, in Hamilton, Ontario, Rogers grew up in a musical family and taught himself how to play guitar at age five. As a boy, he spent his summers in Nova Scotia – mainly in the seaside community of Canso, where his mother grew up. His time there inspired his love of maritime life and music.
Known for his lively stage performances and rich baritone voice, Rogers’ songs were deeply personal, recounting the experiences, joys and sorrows of ordinary Canadians. He attracted a growing following with the 1976 release of his first album, Fogarty’s Cove, and the raucous sea shanty, “Barrett’s Privateers.” The title track from Northwest Passage, released in 1981, is considered one of the best songs ever produced in Canada and has become an unofficial anthem.
OFDC
Rogers has been likened to Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie and described as one of the most talented singer-songwriters in North America by some of folk music’s biggest stars. He released four albums before his tragic death in an airplane fire in Kentucky on June 2, 1983, at the age of 33. Another seven albums were released posthumously.
About the stamp
The issue includes a booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps, an Official First Day Cover (OFDC) and a limited edition framed stamp enlargement and OFDC. Designed by Steven Slipp and printed by Lowe-Martin, the stamp features an illustration by Peter Strain, who worked from two photographs: one by Paul Coates of Rogers performing at the Calgary Folk Festival in the early 1980s (foreground); and another by Darren Calabrese of Fogarty’s Cove, Nova Scotia – the name of Rogers’ debut album (background). The illustration on the front of the OFDC shows Rogers performing at the Dalhousie Arts Centre in Halifax in the early 1980s and was based on the cover of Rogers’ album, From Coffee House to Concert Hall (1999). The Official First Day Cover is cancelled in Hamilton in July, the month in which the annual Stan Rogers Folk Festival is held in Canso, Nova Scotia.
Stamps and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada.
Full-length video from Canada Post:
Shorter video:
[More videos after the French press release]
[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Postes Canada salue le légendaire chanteur folk Stan Rogers
Le timbre rend hommage à l’héritage musical de l’artiste et à son amour pour les Maritimes
OTTAWA – Postes Canada a émis un timbre célébrant l’un des artistes les plus aimés et influents du Canada, le chanteur folk Stan Rogers.
Né le 29 novembre 1949 à Hamilton, en Ontario, M. Rogers fait partie d’une famille de musiciens et apprend tout seul à jouer de la guitare dès l’âge de cinq ans. Enfant, il passe ses étés en Nouvelle-Écosse, surtout dans la communauté côtière de Canso, ville où sa mère a grandi. Son temps là-bas inspire son amour pour la vie et la musique maritimes.
Reconnu pour ses prestations entraînantes et sa riche voix de baryton, Stan Rogers écrit des chansons profondément personnelles qui racontent les expériences, les joies et les peines des Canadiens ordinaires. Il attire de plus en plus de spectateurs après la sortie de son premier album, Fogarty’s Cove, en 1976, qui comprend le chant de marins « Barrett’s Privateers ». La chanson titre de l’album Northwest Passage (1981) est considérée comme l’une des plus belles chansons canadiennes et devient un hymne non officiel du pays.
OFDC reverse
Certaines des plus grandes vedettes de la musique folk comparent Stan Rogers à Bob Dylan et Woody Guthrie. Elles le décrivent même comme étant l’un des chanteurs-compositeurs les plus talentueux en Amérique du Nord. Stan Rogers lance quatre albums avant sa mort tragique dans un incendie d’avion au Kentucky, le 2 juin 1983, à l’âge de 33 ans. Sept autres albums sont lancés à titre posthume.
À propos du timbre
Cette émission comprend un carnet de 10 timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur, un pli Premier Jour officiel (PPJO), ainsi qu’un agrandissement de timbres encadrés à tirage limité avec un PPJO. Conçu par Steven Slipp et imprimé par Lowe-Martin, le timbre met en vedette une illustration réalisée par Peter Strain. L’avant-plan est inspiré d’une photo prise par Paul Coates au Calgary Folk Festival au début des années 1980 et l’arrière-plan, d’un cliché réalisé par Darren Calabrese de Fogarty’s Cove, en Nouvelle-Écosse, la ville éponyme du premier album de Stan Rogers. La couverture du PPJO présente une illustration Stan Rogers en concert au Dalhousie Arts Centre, à Halifax, au début des années 1980; elle s’inspire de la couverture de son album From Coffee House to Concert Hall (1999). Le pli Premier Jour officiel est oblitéré à Hamilton en juillet, le mois où se tient le Stan Rogers Folk Festival à Canso.
Le timbre et les articles de collection sont en vente sur le site postescanada.ca et dans les comptoirs postaux partout au pays.
Video tribute by Ariel Rogers:
Video tribute by Jim Cuddy:
Video tribute by Natalie MacMaster:
Video tribute by Tom Cochrane:
Video tribute by Heather Rankin:
