Canada Post celebrates over 40 years of country rock band Blue Rodeo

Apr 10, 2025, 8 AM

By David Hartwig

Canada Post celebrates the Canadian country rock band Blue Rodeo with a stamp issued April 4.

“From the time it formed in 1984, the iconic group and its signature blend of country, folk and rock have helped define Canada’s musical identity – and 40 years on, Blue Rodeo continues to resonate deeply with loyal fans,” Canada Post said.

The permanent-rate (currently $1.24) stamp features the portraits of all seven current members of Blue Rodeo, a band that has sold more than 4 million albums and performed more than 2,500 live shows in the past four decades.

In the front row from left to right are pianist Mike Boguski, pedal steel guitar and mandolin player Jimmy Bowskill and the singers and guitarists Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor. From left to right in the top row are backing vocals and guitarist Colin Cripps, bassist Bazil Donovan and drummer Glenn Milchem.

Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor met in high school and, after forming two other bands starting in 1978, created Blue Rodeo in 1984. The band performed its first live gig in February 1985.

The group released their debut album Outskirts in 1987, and the hit single “Try” helped the album reach double platinum status in 1988. More than a dozen albums followed in the coming years, with classic songs such as “Lost Together,” “5 Days in May” and “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet.”

In addition to the band’s 12 Juno awards (the Canadian equivalent to the American Music Awards), Blue Rodeo has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame and earned a Governor General’s performing arts award for lifetime artistic achievement.

Cuddy and Keelor were made Officers of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest honors, in 2013, and were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024.

The stamps were designed by Jim Ryce, who also designed Canada’s 2022 Summit Series stamp (Scott 3349) celebrating the 50th anniversary of the historic 1972 series victory of the Canadian ice hockey team over a team from the Soviet Union.

The stamp’s background shows an illustration of a blue guitar, and flowers reminiscent of those embroidered on western-style shirts appear in the foreground. Luis Mora is credited with the photography for this stamp issue, and Katy Lemay provided the illustration work. The flower designs come from thegraphicsfairy.com.

Colour Innovations printed the stamps in booklets of six. The quantity printed was 130,000 booklets, and the Canada Post ordering number is 414265111.

Canada Post produced 7,000 first-day covers featuring the members’ signatures superimposed over the same portraits shown on the stamp. The background of the FDC is a photograph from an August 2024 performance in Toronto.

The cancel is also from Toronto, where the band formed and is based, and the cancel mark shows a guitar pick. The FDC product number is 414265131.

Canada Post stamps and related items are available online.

Stamps and FDCs are available by mail order from Canada Post Customer Service, Box 90022, 2701 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, ON K1V 1J8 Canada; or by telephone from the United States or Canada at 800-565-4362, and from other countries at 902-863-6550.

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