Plaque for Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan, legendary singer of the 1970s rock band T. Rex, is to get a Blue Plaque in Summerstown.
The Blue Plaque will be commemorating his time spent in the area as he began the career which would see him become one of Britain’s biggest pop stars.
Marc Bolan, born as Mark Feld, and then aged 13, moved into a small prefab home next to Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium from Stoke Newington in 1961.
Although his original prefab house is gone, other key historical sites still exist.
Mark busked at several nearby pubs, including ‘The Prince of Wales’, which is now Tesco Express.
The band began as Tyrannosaurus Rex but became T. Rex with the release of Ride a White Swan and had their first No 1 with Hot Love in 1971.
The release that year of album Electric Warrior, including single Get It On, heralded the heyday of glam rock.
A string of hits followed including Telegram Sam and Metal Guru but by the time of the release of 20th Century Boy in 1973 the sheen had worn off and his career was on the slide.
The arrival of punk in 1977 spelt the end of the preeminence of glossy pop, at least for a time.
Bolan died at the age of 29 in a car crash two weeks before his 30th birthday in 1977.
A memorial stone and bust of Bolan, Marc Bolan’s Rock Shrine, was unveiled at the site where he died in Queen’s Ride, Barnes, west London.
Bolan was killed instantly, while driver Gloria Jones – mother of his son Rolan – suffered a broken arm and broken jaw.
His ashes were buried alongside those of his parents under the name Mark Feld, at Golders Green Crematorium.
Summerstown resident Geoff Simmons, has pushed for the Blue Plaque to be installed in Marc’s memory.
A fundraiser is raising money for the manufacturing cost of the plaque as well as promotion for a community celebration event on September 18, when it will be unveiled by a very special guest.
The plaque will be placed on Tesco Express in Summerstown, formerly The Prince of Wales pub where Marc used to busk.
“The company have very kindly agreed to allow us to place the plaque on their building,” the fundraiser reads. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/marc-bolans-teenage-dream
Main Pic: Marc Bolan in T. Rex
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