People whose creative achievements have helped shape the capital are the focus of the scheme by English Heritage this year.
Born Mark Feld, Marc Bolan grew up in Leatherhead and was a pioneer of the Glam Rock movement with his band in the early 70s.
From 1970 to 1973, T. Rex encountered a popularity in the UK comparable to that of the Beatles, with a run of eleven top ten singles.
Four of them reached number 1 including Get It On and Meta Guru.
Bolan was a passenger in a Mini in September 1977 driven by Gloria Jones as they headed home from a night out.
After crossing a small humpback bridge on Queens Ride in Barnes, the car struck a fence post and then a tree.
Bolan died at the scene; he was 29.
Marc Bolan (1947–1977): The enigmatic frontman of T. Rex spearheaded the Glam Rock movement of the 1970s. Known for his flamboyant style and electrifying stage presence, Bolan captivated audiences with his fusion of rock, folk, and glittering theatrics, making hits like Get It On and Ride a White Swan staples of the era. The plaque will mark one of his west London addresses.
The English Heritage London Blue Plaques scheme celebrates the link between significant figures of the past and the buildings in which they lived and worked.
The scheme runs on public suggestions, the main conditions of acceptance for which are that a subject should have been deceased for at least 20 years, and at that least one building in Greater London in which they lived or worked should survive with a substantially unaltered exterior.
Photo credit: English Heritage.
