Bey, who died in 2020, was a major presence in the music and theatre sectors in Canada.

Born in New Jersey, she moved to Toronto in 1964 where she began playing the Jazz circuit. It was during this time; she was given the name “Canada’s First Lady of Blues”.

Onstage and in the studio, Bey captivated audiences with her deep sound, and she soon turned her talents to writing songs and musicals. Her creation “Indigo”, a Blues & Jazz cabaret, focused on the history of Black music.

She has also appeared on Broadway in “Your Arms Too Short to Box with God” and received a Grammy nomination for her work on the cast album.  

In 1964, she married Howard Berkeley Mathews. They had three children, including artists Saidah Baba Talibah (SATE)  and Jacintha Tuku Matthews (tUkU).

In conjunction with the stamp, Bey’s family will re-release her 1970 self-entitled album.

Other accomplishments include:

• In 1985, she was selected to participate in a charity single to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. The group named “Northern Lights”, consisted of Bryan Adams, Corey Hart, Ann Murray, Neil Young among others.
• Her dedication to Canada’s artistic community earned her a Toronto Arts Award in 1992
• Received Martin Luther King Jr. Award for lifetime accomplishment from Montreal’s Black Theatre Workshop in 1996.
• In 2005, she was made an honorary member of the Order of Canada
• In 2021, Bey was officially inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.