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| Close to Home: Stamp Would Honor Late Rudy Vallee The singer's wife lobbies the Postal Service for a commemorative stamp of her late husband By Melanie Creamer, Staff Writer October 8, 2008 |
James Dean has a commemorative stamp from the U.S. Postal Service.
Marilyn Monroe has one, and Frank Sinatra's stamp was just released. Now, it's Rudy Vallee's turn.
Eleanor Vallee, author of "My Vagabond Lover: An Intimate Biography of Rudy Vallee," is on a crusade to get a
commemorative stamp for her late husband, who grew up in Westbrook and became one of America's most loved
entertainers.
Vallee's application has been formally accepted for consideration by the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee.
Now, she needs one last surge of support to move the application process forward. She is encouraging local and
state officials and the public to write letters of support to the committee. She said her husband is more than
deserving of the recognition.
"This campaign is the most important thing to me. Rudy was an icon," his wife said.
Her goal is to secure the stamp by July for the rededication of Vallee Square, the building at 863 Main St. in
Westbrook that once housed the Vallee Drug Store, where Rudy worked as a soda fountain jerk.
"He always got a kick out of coming back to his old town. Rudy loved it there. Everyone was so gracious to us,"
his wife said, noting that she plans to attend the ceremony.
Rudy Vallee, famous for singing through his trademark megaphone, became popular in the late 1920s with the
Savoy Havana Band at London's famous Savoy Hotel. In 1928, he emerged on the national scene with the debut
of a radio talk show called the Rudy Vallee Hour, which drew millions of listeners and made Vallee a superstar.
He appeared in 33 movies, starred on Broadway, and had a number of record-selling hits.
Vallee's career spanned 50 years and involved every aspect of the entertainment business, said Brad Butler, an
account executive for Promotion in Motion, a public relations firm based in Los Angeles that was hired to run the
stamp campaign.
"He was a very interesting guy, small-town guy, who came out of nowhere and set the tone for guys like Bing
Crosby, Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. He was the first popular singer that caused women to throw their
undergarments on stage. He was a ground-breaking entertainer. He was an icon in the entertainment business,"
Butler said.
The advisory committee receives roughly 50,000 applications each year. If the committee approves the request
for the commemorative stamp, it will be released July 28, 2011, Vallee's 110th birthday.
Marilyn Monroe has one, and Frank Sinatra's stamp was just released. Now, it's Rudy Vallee's turn.
Eleanor Vallee, author of "My Vagabond Lover: An Intimate Biography of Rudy Vallee," is on a crusade to get a
commemorative stamp for her late husband, who grew up in Westbrook and became one of America's most loved
entertainers.
Vallee's application has been formally accepted for consideration by the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee.
Now, she needs one last surge of support to move the application process forward. She is encouraging local and
state officials and the public to write letters of support to the committee. She said her husband is more than
deserving of the recognition.
"This campaign is the most important thing to me. Rudy was an icon," his wife said.
Her goal is to secure the stamp by July for the rededication of Vallee Square, the building at 863 Main St. in
Westbrook that once housed the Vallee Drug Store, where Rudy worked as a soda fountain jerk.
"He always got a kick out of coming back to his old town. Rudy loved it there. Everyone was so gracious to us,"
his wife said, noting that she plans to attend the ceremony.
Rudy Vallee, famous for singing through his trademark megaphone, became popular in the late 1920s with the
Savoy Havana Band at London's famous Savoy Hotel. In 1928, he emerged on the national scene with the debut
of a radio talk show called the Rudy Vallee Hour, which drew millions of listeners and made Vallee a superstar.
He appeared in 33 movies, starred on Broadway, and had a number of record-selling hits.
Vallee's career spanned 50 years and involved every aspect of the entertainment business, said Brad Butler, an
account executive for Promotion in Motion, a public relations firm based in Los Angeles that was hired to run the
stamp campaign.
"He was a very interesting guy, small-town guy, who came out of nowhere and set the tone for guys like Bing
Crosby, Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. He was the first popular singer that caused women to throw their
undergarments on stage. He was a ground-breaking entertainer. He was an icon in the entertainment business,"
Butler said.
The advisory committee receives roughly 50,000 applications each year. If the committee approves the request
for the commemorative stamp, it will be released July 28, 2011, Vallee's 110th birthday.
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