Howlin’ Wolf USPS Stamp: A Blues Legend On A Stamp

The 1994 Jazz and Blues Singers issue honored eight performers in eight separate stamp designs. This article focuses on Howlin’ Wolf and distinguishes the musician’s documented career from later stories about the stamp.

The 1994 stamp

The 29-cent Howlin’ Wolf stamp was issued with the Jazz and Blues Singers set on September 17, 1994, in Greenville, Mississippi, during the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival. The portrait design was created by Julian Allen. Greenville was the official first-day city; ceremonies or commemorations held elsewhere were separate events.

The stamp presents Howlin’ Wolf as an individual portrait with the performer’s name, the 29-cent denomination, and the Legends of American Music inscription. It belongs to an eight-design set but is discussed here as its own postal object.

About Howlin’ Wolf

Howlin’ Wolf (1910–1976), born Chester Arthur Burnett, joined a forceful, rough-edged voice with harmonica, electric blues bands, and an imposing stage presence. He moved from the Mississippi and Memphis scenes to Chicago and recorded for Chess.

Howlin’ Wolf wrote and recorded “Smokestack Lightning,” while Willie Dixon wrote “Spoonful”; Wolf’s performance made both central to his recorded identity. Keeping those credits separate avoids turning a famous interpretation into an incorrect songwriting claim. Julian Allen’s close portrait reinforces the physical intensity associated with Wolf’s stage presence.

Issue context

Unlike a concert photograph, the stamp uses a tightly framed painted head-and-shoulders portrait. The direct gaze, broad facial modeling, and limited background keep attention on the performer rather than a guitar, harmonica, or imagined stage scene. Those visible choices make the design identifiable without claiming that the stamp can literally convey his voice.

For the complete lineup, artist assignments, and issue-wide collecting context, see the 1994 Jazz and Blues Singers complete guide.

Sources

Key facts were checked against the National Postal Museum Howlin’ Wolf profile, the museum’s Howlin’ Wolf stamp record, and the Library of Congress blues overview.