Thats the problem with me, you see. The death of Marc Bolan has its own legend. We didnt meet again. All Rights reserved. He dabbled in some more groups, and in 1968, making a vague living by playing acoustic guitar around the clubs (and in restaurants for a free meal) he met Steven Took, and together they formed one of the classic groups of the Hippy era, Tyrannosaurus Rex. Steve Harley takes up to story: Muriel Young kick-started it all. In retrospective, back then Marc Bolan dying was just as shocking as the death of David Bowie, and some others of the brightest rock stardome. Just five close friends were invited along: Mickey Finn and his girlfriend Sue Worth, Jeff Dexter, and witnesses Alice Ormsby-Gore and. I think there should be a revival of 70s music to let the new generation of youth get inspired by pioneers of the industry. RMER67A0 - Tree into which car carrying Marc Bolan collided, resulting in his death on 16th September 1977. But Even sober people can (and often do) crash their automobile when driving at the early hours of the morning down dark, poorly-lit roads, even when they havent been partying all night. The couple began their set at 3am and then slept Easter Monday off at the family homes of the clubs disc jockeys Rod Gilchrist and Paul Jennings. Friday January 30th, 1970 - T-Rex singer Marc Bolan and June Ellen Child got married at the Kensington Registry Office. Mark Feld grew to fame as Marc Bolan, had the number one records, the dabblings with drugs and alcohol and kinky sex that are the first fruits of rock success, and he died in a car crash in the early hours of yesterday morning, just as he once foresaw. Love and Death. My point with this book is to expose the much repeated erroneous reports and false statements surrounding the last few months of Marc Bolans life and to hopefully draw a line under things once and for all. Please dont publicly call someone a racist or murderer without knowing what the hell your talking about. Tony Visconti: 'What I saw in Marc Bolan was raw talent. Trouble is it is not the true or full story.To read the true story look up Vicky Aram who was there that night as a guest of Marc and Gloria. Non-existent gallery specified in URL. Photo: Roger RM ER67A0 - Tree into which car carrying Marc Bolan collided, resulting in his death on 16th September 1977. Marc Bolan was killed instantly. Marc loved it all. When we rang the hospital later they told us the driver had a broken arm and jaw, but the passenger was DOA (dead on arrival), he added. The accident occurred less than one mile from Bolans mansion in East Sheen. Gloria Jones lost her husband and father of her child, from a pure accident that any of us, even good drivers, could make. Marc Bolan's latest news, photos, videos, movies, albums, or awards info from Yahoo . Oh, no. What kind of person lies like this absolutely disgusting. Build your family tree online . It was less to do with fighting Rockers at Clacton than with the pursuit of style. While the music itself was standard, hard driving pop/rock, the performers clothes were something else. Singer Marc Bolan performing with English glam rock group T-Rex at the Empire Pool . Marc was a rocknroller, and his other passion was mythology. One was Malvern Winter Gardens a premier venue at the time because it also hosted the Who, the Moody Blues and the Kinks, among others and the other was Frank Freemans Dance Studio in Kidderminster. Now, however, it has been revealed the legend was wrong. Wanted to attend his funeral, but I could not handle it. It was very fashionable to use my face on the cover of everything. Follow Flashbak on Twitter and Facebook. Recording the otherwise lost history of all manner of British culture is very important to me. It covers the accident in near forensic detail and I have located and interviewed pretty much every member of all 3 emergency services who were present and I can assure you that Chris Watts story is Not true. Magazine - No Thyself. Just one tiny little mark.. Steve Took dropped out in 1969, to be replaced by Micky Finn, whom Bolan met in a health food restaurant. He installed a caretaker and three years later sold it for about 70,000 without hardly ever visiting. I ribbed him. He is best known as the frontman of glam rock group T. Rex. He was best known as the lead singer of the rock band T. Rex. And in. Gloria was groaning and almost conscious. No, not at all dubious, not in the least, he said in reassuring tones. The car was a total mess. Clarifying certain points and dealing with police and coroner in particular, has been a very slow procedure with many legal hoops to jump through ( or find a way around). The 70s idol's intimate secrets are exposed in a documentary to mark the 30th. Dubbed AngelHeaded Hipster, it features countless Bolan classics covered by artists like Nick Cave, U2, and Father John Misty, with the late Hal Willner serving as producer.. He made it look so easy. This story is from the November 3rd, 1977 issue of Rolling Stone. Its all cycles, but this ones mine.. You can imagine he was so heady with the success of T.Rextasy. He was thrown out of the car during the accident and was not cut out of the car at all. I also rang Chris Watts and he couldnt even tell me who his other crew members were. Marc Bolan is pictured appearing with Tyrannosaurus Rex at Frank Freeman's in Kidderminster At the age of nine he formed his own skiffle band, and while at school with Helen Shapiro he played. Seven years earlier I had become smitten by a certain single that had just been released . Daisy Jones & The Six has yet to premiere, but the retro series is already causing a buzz for its bohemian wardrobe. Did I detect some slight nervousness, a little apprehension behind those lenses? I adored him and his crazy madness.. He was deluged with a fanmail of childish scrawls. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. He was afraid to let go.. Was Bolan, after all this time, still dubious about talking to the press? Ms Warner, 53, said: "A lot of people don't realise there was a fence between the tree and the road, because the fence was removed. I was only four years old when Marc passed so suddenly and tragically, At the time I was too young to remember him only learning about him many moons later, he really intruiged me, and as for what actually happened to him exactly on that fateful Septembers day I am sure it is very likely we may never know, and maybe its best that we dont however all the same something in my heart of heart screams very loudly, :this really did not need to happen. Radio 1 DJ John Peel who brought Tyrannosaurus Rex to public attention ferried Bolan and Took up to Kidderminster for an allnighter on Easter Sunday, April 14, 1968, following an appearance on his Top Gear show in London. I hope you expose the fantasists in your book. Marc Bolan T. Rex | WitchesBrewPress's Blog. He installed a caretaker and three years later sold it for about 70,000 without hardly ever visiting. It was upright and it was smoking and there was a tiny glimmer of light from the moon, the night was so still.". I heard the sad news on medium-wave radio, and I was just shocked. he was taken out of the car by someone, and actually a passing motorist provided the blanket. Sounds silly to write about it now 53 years later but I have time now to reflect. I went to 3 of the performances of 2012s 20th Century Boy The Musical at the Coventry Belgrade Theatre the first two and the last one and I absolutely loved the whole cast, including George Maguire, who played The Man Himself but sadly he might not be quite right on film, being so tall. Please allow ads and let sponsors fund your surfing. Rolan Bolan (born Rolan Seymour Feld on 26 September 1975) is the son of Marc Bolan, lead singer of T. Rex. The driver of the car, Gloria Jones, who was also Rolan's mother, emerged from the accident alive but severely injured. There was an amazing trade in pillows silk-screened with his face. He and Gloria were driving in their Mini 127GT, after spending time at Mortons Club and Restaurant in Berkeley Square, London. But it was an occasion Ill never forget. Although T. Rex produced eleven British Top-Ten singles and generated fan hysteria reminiscent of the days of the Beatles, the group never achieved equal popularity in the U.S. Only one single, 1971s Bang a Gong (Get It On), was a U.S. hit. How can this man lie about such tragic? Gloria has made life hard for herself , she claimed Marc to be violent , and she appeared back in Uk. But in 1977, when his son was barely two years old, Marc Bolan was killed in a tragic road accident at the age of twenty-nine. In fact she did not even learn of his death until after his funeral. Is it a boy? His musical influence as guitarist and songwriter was profound; he inspired many later acts over the following decades. For the last couple of years Ive been researching and writing a book which covers the last few months of Marcs life. They were barely a mile from home. Theyll grow up soon and change. I had traced Marc's Uncle by using the phone book. I can understand that Gloria was probably under the influence and the car not as well maintained as it might have been. Photos of Marc Bolan in His Last Years with Bowie, Billy Idol, Siouxsie Sioux, The Damned, Elton John, and Rod Stewart The death of Marc Bolan almost 41 years ago robbed the world of a mythic mercurial superstaror at least that's what seemed to be on the horizon again for the 29-year old poet and glam pioneer when a car crash took is life in 1977. So were my friends, the next day I told them about the incident. She is still in hospital, with a broken jaw and serious facial injuries. I am now writing the final parts and then it will be the basic proof reading and editing process. It never happened, but his music lives on Still, that didnt stop Melody Maker describing Marc as a faded old tart in a live review. Wait a minute. A Tale Untold is on course to be published late this year. A lot of people like what I do, a lot of people dont. Rolan Bolan (listed on his birth certificate as Rolan Seymour Feld - Feld being his father's real name) was born in September 1975 in Hampstead, London. Marc Bolan's death has its own tale. . Marc Bolan, June and Alice Ormsby-Gore having fun at Eric Claptons house in Surrey in 1970. Marc was back on form. I remember one Top Of The Pops where Marc was wearing a toy plastic Roman breastplate that hed bought in Woolworths and one of his nipples was showing! Whatever happened to all his guitars etc people out there know what happened !!! Often the men were prettier than the women. Success has its degrees. Its a very strange feeling.. Remember keep a little Marc in your hearts. Marc was firing on all cylinders, Sensible recalls. Alright, so I went through a period of time when I didnt want to say anything in the papers, but I think every artist goes through that". I was a big fan and read at the time he was thrown from the car on impact. Specifically, she broke her jaw, leg, and foot, as well as suffering serious internal injuries. I feel thats very likely so, but should anyone have been held accountable well all I can say to that is, that hindsight is a curious thing, no one was or has really been held responsible or accountable, but the only peace of mind that I have is that thankfully I dont think Marc saw it coming as it happened so quickly that he probably was gone, before he even had the chance to process everything ( and I truly hope I am right) for his sake). I can say that in absolute, total truth. It was once said of the Rolling Stones: Would you let your daughter marry one of these? But as far as the stars of glam rock were concerned you had to work out the gender first. A little before five oclock the car left the road at Queens Ride, Barnes Common, and crashed into a tree. You might have seen me on Top Of The Pops. It was absolutely brilliant. BP Fallon visited the crash site in Barnes personally. Heres how it works. My tour manager and I were on the first plane to England. Many years ago I though Johnny Depp would have made a good Marc then time passed and my hopeful baton went to Orlando Bloom more time passed and it looked like Aneurin Barnard (as he was in The White Queen) would have been amazing maybe the best (hes a great singer, too). Cyclist passes a tribute to Marc Bolan, lead-singer & guitarist of the band T-Rex, beside the tree where he was killed in 1977 on September 15, 2007. He found it within a year, with a single called Ride a White Swan that combined the bizarre imagery of his Hippy days with a driving, insistent rhythm that spelled commercial success. lovely man died so young,sadly missed still to this day. Displaying john_cooper's root gallery. He couldnt walk past a shop window; he couldnt walk past a fucking bus stop without looking at his reflection in the glass. Then Ride A White Swan [Bolans 1970 hit single] happened and suddenly I was very sellable. Surrealistic rocknroll. Jones was driving. The T Rex star was killed instantly when his car hit a tree in south London. T-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more, designed and sold by independent artists around the world. People talk such bollocks. We need to move on now., It has been alleged that Jones was drunk at the wheel but one source who does not want to be named, but who was close to Jones at the time, refutes this: Gloria had a lot of self-control. Bolan spent 67,000 on the 10- bedroomed 17th-century property and another small fortune on renovation, but never lived there. It was his first real hit, and Bolans elfin face and wispily Afro hair style suddenly hit the front pages, dominated the music magazines and almost single-handedly created the teeny-bop phenomenon. Gloria and Marc - whose son Rolan was 20-months-old at the time - had been returning to their Richmond home after a night out in London's Mayfair around 4am when their purple mini crashed. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Gloria Jones brother, Richard Jones, in hat behind them. her injuries (i want to say unfortunately, but i wont) were not life-threatening. Early 1971. He was never going to burn out, Sid and Nancy style. The driver of the Mini, a purple 1275GT model, was his partner Gloria Jones, once one of Bolans backing singers but by then the mother of his 20 month old son Rolan. For very little girls, who had just outgrown their teddy bears, Marc Bolan became a replacement. She sang backing vocals and played clavinet with T. Rex from 1973 to 1977. Place of Death: Barnes, London, England, U.K. Always keep a little Marc in your heart. He was grounded in many respects. Search instead in Creative? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The night I cut Marc Bolan from the wreckage of his car. You have your guess the year on Peak 107 in my area (Chesterfield Derbyshire) from the 80s onwards and its the same old stuff repeated. Rod Stewart and friend. A pair of doors opened up like the mouth of Hades. June at home with Marc and Mickey This site was Created, Designed & is Updated by TAG CIC: Legal Guardians of Marc Bolan's Rock Shrine in Barnes, London. The book Marc Bolan: A Tale Untold will now be published in the New Year. Both times at the iconic Apollo Theatre in Glasgow 1976 Futuristic Dragon Tour and 1977 Dandy In The Underworld Tour. There was all this glass on the ground; nobody had bothered to clear it up. Gallery - Marc Bolan's Funeral My images Above: I was so grateful that Marc's parents allowed fans to attend his funeral, that I wrote a letter to Marc's Mum, Phyllis, thanking her. Marc was scared of driving and it was the drivers responsibility to ensure that they were compos mentis when doing so hence many fans will always blame Marcs early demise as her fault she couldve booked a taxi they couldve stayed in a hotel overnight many other options of course. Fans from around the world have converged on the tree in south-west London where the glam rock star drew his last breath 35 years ago today. I would not know if he wore seat-belt, and even though the Mini for sure was fun driving, he for sure could have owned and been traveling in a crash-safer car. From $19.84 . deathly afraid of driving, fearing a young death, the original version of Ed Cobbs Tainted Love, crash site has become a shrine to his memory, Oliver Reed as a prototype Alex from A Clockwork Orange in These are the Damned, I Have No Desire To Be Nico: Post-Punks Muse Of Manchester, Linder Sterling. He specialised in covering rock music and helped popularise the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) after using the term for the first time (after editor Alan Lewis coined it) in the May 1979 issue of Sounds. Will NEVER forget when I was told of his death. How can one person, then, from what Im given to understand, publically lie and not be held to account ? Gloria was talented in her own right, penning Tainted Love she and Marcs son ended up with nothing.though there are rumours that the trust fund is finally ready to pay out. Just some hours before his unfortunate death, the Hall of Famer was told by The Miami News Jon Marlowe to take care of himself. , Also how could Gloria be standing next to the car? Yes, you are correct, my father was the ambulance driver that attended, he was thrown through the window sadly. How come we never heard Glorias version of events.why was she never questioned? Marc on that night was celebrating and starting drinking after months of getting dry . A swan-shaped floral arrangement calling to mind Bolans first big hit record, Ride a White Swan was displayed at the ceremony. And he was very excited as you would be. Bang on. Marc was invited by Radio Hallam to do promo work for his new single . Then this girl appeared. His taste was for the big time. Unfortunately, it didnt. My Electric Warrior character was meant to be a sort of Conan, actually, except that he didnt follow the conventional boring barbarian pattern, Bolan rambled on, going round and round in ever-decreasing circles. I remember being in a pub when I was 20 and living in NZ, and going over to the bloke named Brendon Perry who had just joined a punk band and changed his name to Ronnie Recent, and telling him about Marc Nolan dying in a car crash. She told the Express of his regular predictions of an early death: "I don't know why he said . Manchester Square was what they called an RTA station and our appliance was carrying specialist rescue equipment.. Pop star Marc Bolan has been killed in a car crash in south-west London. It was a Jewish ceremony. But right now lets look on the positive side. All that money ended up in trust in the Caribbean, some money was paid out to his wife at the time and then the tax man got a hold of a couple of million. Marc's macabre prophecy: A new documentary reveals how T. Rex star Marc Bolan had a death wish to die in a Mini. But at the same time, he was strangely compelling. Betty Davis was born Betty Mabry on July 26, 1945 in Durham, N.C., grew up in Pittsburgh, and began writing songs at age 12. Hi Russell, same as you mate, a big shock to the system hearing upon Marcs passing, I was 16 years old at the time but was a Bolan fan from aged 12. she is pure evil, and lets just say, its too bad marc didnt drive. He lived for the day. R.i.p. Assuming we are all on This site as fans of Marc , best we dont claw over Gloria , she has worked on a giving charity project , and she claims to be very poor when Marc passed away . Bolan spent 67,000 on the 10- bedroomed 17th-century property and another small fortune on renovation, but never lived there. "Surrealistic rock'n'roll. This is the first album in 30 years for the band, darkly amusing, awkward yet oddly graceful return of the ostensibly dead, not always pleasant, but in a funny way, it's quite compelling. My choice would still be Nye but theyd have to shoot it soon because hes already into his 30s. To the best of Classic Rocks knowledge, Jones has never spoken publicly about the smash. There were flames bursting out in front of us. Remember him saying he would not live to see his 30th birthday. Despite its unlikely sounding name, Franks place had been a mecca for Midlands beat groups for years. It seemed like the car, which had been a Mini, had failed to make a left hand bend, crossed the road and hit the tree. His death was said to be as a result of heroin overdose, something that was not seen as suicide. From the archive, 17 September 1977: Marc Bolan dies in car crash The T Rex star was killed instantly when his car hit a tree in south London Singer Marc Bolan (1947-1977) on a tour bus in. Then theres the matter of lying to the police, the courts, and everyone else. Over-drugged, fat and almost alcoholic, he was rescued by a lovely black American singer called Gloria Jones. Although many of his songs refer to cars, Marc Bolan himself was deathly afraid of driving, fearing a young death. Surely we must know, by now, that Bolan was equal to Bowie is his owning off the pre punk seventies! Its also known that Gloria took the car into have a tyre change . In 1970, Micky Finn replaced Took, the group shortened its name to T. Rex and began moving toward more of a hard-rock sound. (dont get me wrong the 80s were full of musical talent). Its a tragic loss. I came up with something stock. I had a soft spot for Marc Bolan but back then there werent no internet, so we had no real access to detailed news etc. I reckon hed make a good Mickey, though, as he resembles him more than Marc. Its wheels had been balanced and a tyre had been replaced. For you to say its unfortunate that she didnt also die and take pleasure in her being ripped-off from Marcs inheritance is just appalling and you should be ashamed of yourself. I still think that, regardless of what anybody writes in the papers, its good to have the space, he continued. He was still in his seat and apparently dead. Jones only suffered a shoulder injury. Marc Bolan, the Guru Of Glitter, was killed in a car crash in 1977 just as his career was on the rise again. Its a great idea you open up a cloak and its full of eagles. A racist mechanic? Hot Love, Keepster, Telegram Sam, The Slider. And I dont necessarily mean Watts. Born: 30 September 1947 in Hackney, London, England, UK. I was unable to return to London Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld) was an English singer-songwriter, musician, guitarist, and poet. That was the only indication hed been in an accident. They might be using one of my characters. Now,. For the first time, an eyewitness to the devastation of the car crash that killed the rock star tells her story to a national newspaper. Not sure my Dyslexia helps, what I establish as an apprentice mechanic In London in the 1970s , was profound , Racism 1. in respectful memory of marc bolan musician, writer and poet. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. the wheel nuts were loose, pressures wrong, slow puncture , gloria went to repair, but dont think mechanic liked her , any way the car hit concrete post and was propelled into , tying a fox in a tree, as Marc had predicted.. Did they even have seatbelts in that year and model? (in West Germany), My first record was 20 century boy,I was hooked, so sad,why dont they do a film of his life,like Freddie and Elton. I know of two in collections and I have his telecaster bought from Christies , I also have a burns flyte bass he gifted and the slab body bass he bought for steve Currie to use on ride a white swan. At the time of Marcs death I wasnt a huge fan, but now I really appreciate his work. Why tell the truth when an exaggeration would do? Then came the rivalry, but their camaraderie never really diminished. I say this with no criticism and no malice, but Marc was a fully paid-up member of the Fantasy Island Club. , that said did he have it on ?, i think yes he did as its a front wheel drive car the bell housing , on a transform engine would have been directly in front of his legs , but the whole engine was forced back to the passenger side . Gloria Jones: Hed be doing his own music, hed be doing film, hed be enjoying time with his son, and wed possibly be living in Malibu. I mean those who do so for paid, self-publicity, as some may perhaps either be unwell, or have become somehow deranged, which can eventually happen if you constantly dwell on morbidity, because of love, or curiosity; the constant pining seeks relief. Regards to all. For the next six and a half years their lives were to continue a universe apart, until late one night they crossed at a sycamore tree by a hump back bridge on the South Circular. Their Hippy period had never been as fey as Britains, and there were no American DJs with dues to pay to their flower-power pasts. However, Steve Harley believes Bolans endorsement of punk was purely a means to an end. And I said, 'Well, be careful having James Dean as a . Free delivery for many products! It was a long time ago. He gave up writing proper poetry once he realised he could be on every girls bedroom wall with Ride A White Swan onward. much loved and missed by his fans and all those whose lives he touched. 1964 (pre Marc Bolan) I was 18 he was 16/17 The songs, with their Tolkien-dense imagery and dream sequences, still evoke the indefatigable innocence and wonder of the Hippy days, but the transition from cult to cash was still to be made. Lets put it this way, he was badly knocked about.. Embed from Getty Images Sadly, Marc was killed on impact. However, those with long memories may recall the touslehaired singer making rather more public appearances in the area a decade before. He was my mate. Glam rocker Marc Bolan lost his virginity at NINE and had a gay romp with his manager, a TV tribute reveals. who scored several top ten hits with the group T Rex before his death in a car crash. But with his days as the teen-scream Guru Of Glitter well behind him, with the great ship T.Rextasy lost off the misty coast of Albany, he needed the press. Marc Bolan, best-known as the frizzy-haired leader of T. Rex, died September 16th in a car crash. Soon after joining T. Rex, Jones and Bolan became romantically involved. It was true.. T. Rex popularity began to fall off in the mid-Seventies, but Bolan had recently made a comeback of sorts he had just filmed the first two shows for a new British TV series. Skip to main . Marcs brother harry , has embraced Gloria as , its Rolans Mum , I was upset to hear that when Rolan was growing up he new very little about his dad from Gloria . she indeed got out of the car herself! You just called him a racist. I think I got close to it when I wrote the line cloak full of eagles. The death of Marc Bolan has its own legend. It was such a jolt that I had to find the nearest place to get a drink. I would also say that I had a similar mini; it could be skittish and let go at the rear end. Fashion was a part of the phenomenon, so were the new, cool discos of Swinging London. I knew that, with Marc being Jewish, the funeral would be very quick. Ive written some great lyrics, and people say its all mindless garbage. (Image credit: Estate Of Keith Morris/Getty Images ), Marc Bolan in 1975: "It was fashionable to use my face on the cover of everything. Fee Warner, founder of the T Rex Action Group, bought the land where the sycamore tree stands to stop it from being felled.