Though a recipient of some of Canada's most distinguished honours, music icon Gordon Lightfoot was thrilled when Canada Post approached him about being one of the four recording artists recognized in a new stamp series, available as of Friday.

"It's all fun," the Toronto-based folk icon, 68, told CBC News in an interview recently before departing on his latest a series of performances in the United States.

Gordon Lightfoot says that, now that there's a new stamp picturing him, he will be 'able to sit at home and travel all over the world.'
(CBC)

"I've been honoured so many times, so many ways. But when it came up, I said 'Gee, let's do this,'" he recalled.

"It sounds like a proper thing to do — be on a stamp. I mean, sure I'd like to be on a stamp!"

The new, limited edition Canada Post series, which will include a printing of six million domestic-rate stamps, also pays tributes to landmark Canadian recording artists Joni Mitchell, Paul Anka and Anne Murray, all of whom found acclaim in 1960s and 1970s.

"It's an interesting grouping of people," Lightfoot said of his fellow postage stamp honourees.

He admitted, however, that upon learning who would be represented in the series, his thoughts soon turned to other musical peers of that era who he felt should also be similarly honoured.

"I thought of Tom Connors, I thought of Neil Young. I thought of Leonard Cohen and perhaps a double [stamp] of Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings," Lightfoot said.

Still, the musical Hall of Famer expressed appreciation for the series, including the artwork, with his stamp based on the cover of the 1975 album Gord's Gold.

"The likenesses are very good. The artwork is excellent — nobody can complain," he said. "I think they did a good job of it. They sort of gave me that dark look. I like that."

Though he has never been a collector, Lightfoot said he planned to buy several sheets of his new stamp and have them framed for his children.

He also jokingly relished that he'd now be "able to sit at home and travel all over the world."

"[Someone could] be in Hong Kong opening a letter and there'll be a picture of one of us on it!"