Bolan's Rock Shrine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Marc Bolan shrine site in 2005

Bolan's Rock Shrine is a memorial to musician Marc Bolan, of T. Rex, on the site of the 1977 car crash, in Barnes, London, in which he was killed.

Marc Bolan and his girlfriend Gloria Jones were less than a mile from their home in Richmond when, a few minutes before 5:00 a.m. on September 16, 1977, the car, a purple Mini 1275 GT (license plate FOX 66IL), driven by Jones hit a tree in Barnes, southwest London.

The tree, still surviving as of 2006, is a Sycamore. Since 1977 it has acted as a shrine to his memory, and receives frequent visits from fans to this day. Wishbone Ash wrote a song about it called "Bolan's Monument".

The Marc Bolan memorial stone in 2005

In 1997 the Performing Right Society installed a Memorial Stone for the twentieth anniversary of Bolan's death.

The United Kingdom newspaper the Daily Mail reported in 1998 that "The Tree was damaged beyond repair." ... "Experts say the tree is dying" ... "We have a duty to ensure it is not a danger to the public" ... "Felling is a possibility in the future" (1).

In 1999 a group called "TAG" - (T.Rex Action Group) was formed, and the land-owners Railtrack granted it a lease in perpetuity on the site and ownership of The Bolan Tree. TAG care for Bolan's Rock Shrine on a charity basis and work as guardians for the tree. In 2000 TAG laid steps and a viewing platform around the tree and after consulting tree surgeons, fitted a metal calliper across the rotted section of trunk, to support the weight of the tree and save the tree from felling.

TAG installed a bronze bust of Marc Bolan at the site, in 2002, to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death. The bust was unveiled by his son, Rolan, and the event was attended by fans from around the world as well as by friends and colleagues including T Rex members Mickey Finn and Paul Fenton.