Rick Wakeman's career has been celebrated by a six-stamp collection from Isle Of Man Stamps & Coins, all featuring the artwork of Roger Dean.
Wakeman lived on the Isle Of Man from 1987 for over a decade, and the island is where the initial recordings of Return To The Centre Of The Earth took place, and also inspired 1993'sThe Heritage Suite, solo piano album celebrates local landmarks - from St Michael’s Isle to Spanish Head - produced in association with Manx National Heritage, as well as 2000's Chronicles Of Man.
"I am honoured to have my career featured on these stamps having spent many years as a resident of the Isle of Man," Wakeman says. "Roger Dean’s artwork has always felt like a natural extension of the music I’ve created, and to see our worlds brought together on stamps is both surreal and wonderful.”
"I first met Yes in 1971 when I created the cover for Fragile," recalls Dean. "Rick Wakeman had just joined the band, and from that moment I’ve always enjoyed working with him. Designing this new set of Isle of Man stamps has been a joy and a tribute to that long collaboration.”
"We are immensely proud to celebrate Rick Wakeman with this collection of stamps, beautifully art-worked by Roger Dean," adds Maxine Cannon, General Manager of Isle Of Man Stamps & Coins. "Rick’s connection to the Island, where he spent time living and working as a part of our community, makes this release especially meaningful for us. To be able to honour his extraordinary musical journey alongside Roger’s art feels like a perfect meeting of sound, story and image - and we are delighted to share it with fans and collectors around the world.”
Rick Wakeman;'s stamps are available in very limited quantities worldwide and in different formats which you can view here.
Wakeman releases his new piano album, Melancholia, through Madfish records on October 17. He takes his Return Of The Caped Crusader tour out on the road in October, where he will be performing his solo albums The Six Wives Of Henry VIII and The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table.
