Announced November 20, 2018. The most recent information will appear after the large illustration and the introductory description from the USPS. The Scott catalogue number is 5349.The 42nd stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Gregory Hines (1946—2003), whose unique style of tap dancing injected new artistry and excitement into a traditional American form. A versatile performer who danced, acted and sang on Broadway, on television and in movies, Hines developed the entertainment traditions of tap into an art form for a younger generation and is credited with renewing interest in tap during the 1990s. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp, which features a 1988 photograph by Jack Mitchell.

Updated December 7th: This stamp will be issued Monday, January 28th, in New York City.

Updated December 21st:

On January 28, 2019, in New York, NY, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Gregory Hines stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 477000). The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 28, 2019, and must not be sold or cancelled before the first-day-of-issue.

The 42nd stamp in the Black Heritage® series honors Gregory Hines (1946–2003), whose unique style of tap dancing injected new artistry and excitement into a traditional American form. A versatile performer who danced, acted, and sang on Broadway, on television, and in movies, Hines developed the entertainment traditions of tap into an art form for a younger generation and is credited with renewing interest in tap during the 1990s. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp, which features a 1988 photograph by Jack Mitchell.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 477000, Gregory Hines (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Pane of 20 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

 Special Dedication Postmarks:
Only this pictorial postmark is permitted for the Gregory Hines stamp.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Gregory Hines Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by May 28, 2019.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Gregory Hines Stamp
Item Number: 477000
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Black Heritage
Issue Date & City: January 28, 2019, New York, NY 10199
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Photo: Jack Mitchell
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 40,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./21.336 x 36.068 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6 x 8.5 in./152.4 x 215.9 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 12 x 25.75 in./ 304.8 x 654.05 mm
Colors: PMS 435 Grey C, Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: BLACK HERITAGE, Celebrating Gregory Hines, 42nd in a series • Plate numbers in two corners
Back: ©2018 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (477000) • Plate position diagram • Promotional text

Updated December 24th:

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.85″x1.35″. The B&W pictorial postmark measures 2.92″x1.49″. The “special” (local) postmark measures 2.70″x1.02″.

from USPS December 26th:
Tapping into the Brilliance of Gregory Hines
U.S. Postal Service Honors Legendary Entertainer with Black Heritage Series Stamp

What:
The 42nd stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Gregory Hines, whose unique style of tap dancing injected new artistry and excitement into a traditional American form. A versatile performer who danced, acted and sang on Broadway, television and in movies, Hines developed the entertainment traditions of tap into an art form for a younger generation and is credited with renewing interest in tap during the 1990s.

The first-day-of-issue event is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #GregoryHinesForever and #BlackHeritageStamps.

Who: Gary Barksdale, Acting Chief Postal Inspector and Dedicating Official

When: Monday, Jan. 28, 2019, at 11 a.m. EST

Where:
Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
New York, NY 10025-6990

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/gregoryhinesblackheritage.

Background:
Gregory Hines (1946-2003) was nominated for Tony Awards in the 1970s for his performances in three Broadway musicals — “Eubie!,” “Comin’ Uptown,” and “Sophisticated Ladies” — and won a Tony Award in 1992 for his starring role in “Jelly’s Last Jam.” He danced alongside his brother, Maurice, in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1984 film “The Cotton Club” and alongside ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov in the 1985 movie “White Nights,” and he appeared in the 1989 movie “Tap,” which highlighted three generations of tap dancers. He also hosted an Emmy-winning Public Broadcasting Service show about tap dancing, recorded a No. 1 R&B duet with Luther Vandross, twice hosted the Tony Awards, and acted in television sitcoms.

The stamp features a 1988 photograph by Jack Mitchell that shows a smiling Hines on one knee in a red blazer and gray pants, with one foot raised to show the taps on the bottom of his shoe. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.

The Gregory Hines stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp and will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shop, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic catalog or at Post Office locations nationwide.