SALOME Bey was dubbed Canada’s first lady of blues. Courtesy photo.
Canada’s first lady of blues is being honoured with a special commemorative stamp from Canada Post.
The late Toronto resident Salome Bey will join world-renowned pianist Oscar Peterson, Gordon Lightfoot, Buffy Sainte-Marie and others whose lives have been celebrated by the national postal service.
Other Canadian artists previously honoured with commemorative stamps include Rush, Leonard Cohen, Stan Rogers, Paul Anka, Joni Mitchell, Anne Murray, the Guess Who, the Tragically Hip and Beau Dommage.
U.S. BORN Bey loved Toronto where she lived most of her life.
Bey was born in Newark, N.J., before moving to a music-rich Toronto in the 1960s.
She was a singer-songwriter, composer, producer, director and actor, a Grammy nominee, a Dora Award winner and an honorary member of the Order of Canada.
Canada Post will be revealing the stamp in a ceremony at Meridian Hall on April 21.
Special guests will include Bey’s daughters, SATE and TuKu.
The stamp will coincide with a reissue of Bey’s self-titled debut album, initially released in 1970 via Quality Records.
Bey loved Toronto and together with her husband ran a successful soul food restaurant on King St. E. for many years.
SALOME BEY was an exciting performer with a great voice.
Bey early on distinguished herself as a multi-talented actress, playwright and director of musicals who opened doors for other Black artists in Canadian theatre.
The mother of two was an outspoken advocate of gender equality and a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.
Bey died on Aug. 8, 2020, in Toronto. She was 86.