BBCGlam rock star Marc Bolan has been honoured with a blue plaque outside the west London home where he wrote and recorded some of his biggest hits.
The singer and guitarist, the frontman of glam rock band T. Rex, died in a car crash in 1977 at the age of 29.
The unveiling of his plaque coincides with the release of unheard T. Rex track I’m Dazed, recorded in 1975, and an alternate take of Billy Super Duper – both of which were discovered on studio tapes said to be “long forgotten”.
The plaque was unveiled at 31 Clarendon Gardens, Maida Vale, the address where Bolan lived with his wife June from late 1970.
Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who also played on T. Rex recordings, said: “I am pretty sure that if Marc is with us in spirit today he’d be absolutely thrilled to see the blue plaque and probably would write a song about it.
“Marc was a truly remarkable person, with an extraordinary clarity of vision about what he wanted to achieve – a quality that made him unique across so many musical, fashion and artistic forms.”
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PA MediaBBC Radio 3 presenter and English Heritage blue plaques panel member Petroc Trelawny said: “Marc Bolan was not just a hitmaker, he was a visionary who led a glitter-drenched revolution that transformed the sound – and style – of the 70s.”
He added: “This plaque in Maida Vale marks the building he called home at the peak of his artistry: from here, he captured the imagination of a generation.”
Bolan, who lived in London all his life, left the first-floor flat late in 1972 because of unrelenting attention from fans, English Heritage said.
Between November 1970 and June 1973 T. Rex had 11 top 10 hits with singles including Hot Love, Metal Guru and 20th Century Boy.
Bolan joins other notable musicians commemorated by the blue plaques scheme, from Freddie Mercury to Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon.
The London blue plaques scheme, now run by English Heritage, started in 1866 and is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world.
