Marc Bolan was an English guitarist, singer-songwriter and poet. He was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s with his band T. Rex. Bolan strongly influenced artists of many genres, including glam rock, punk, post-punk, new wave, indie rock, Britpop and alternative rock. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of T. Rex.
Bolan performing in 1973
Plaque marking Bolan's childhood home, 25 Stoke Newington Common, Hackney, east London
An outfit of Marc Bolan's on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Sydney, Australia
Gloria Jones with her and Marc Bolan's son Rolan in 2014
Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by male musicians who wore flamboyant and feminine clothing, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter, and female musicians who wore masculine clothing. Glam artists drew on diverse sources across music and throwaway pop culture, ranging from bubblegum pop and 1950s rock and roll to cabaret, science fiction, and complex art rock. The flamboyant clothing and visual styles of performers were often camp or androgynous, and have been described as playing with other gender roles. Glitter rock was a more extreme version of glam rock.
David Bowie as his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust during the 1972–73 Ziggy Stardust Tour
Marc Bolan of T. Rex performing on ABC's In Concert, 1973
Noddy Holder (right) and Dave Hill (left) of Slade, near the height of their fame in 1973, showing some of the more extreme glam rock fashions
A figure in the new romantic movement, Boy George of Culture Club (performing in 2001) was influenced by glam rock icons Bolan and Bowie.
