Memorial to Bolan unveiled at crash site

A life-size bronze bust of the pop star Marc Bolan was unveiled yesterday at the site of the car crash that claimed his life 25 years ago.

Rolan Bolan, the son of the T Rex frontman, was present at the short ceremony at Memorial Gardens in Barnes, south-west London. Bolan's brother, Harry Feld, and his former bandmates, Mickey Finn and Paul Fenton, were also present.

Bolan, whose original name was Mark Feld, was returning from a London nightclub on 16 September 1977 when his purple Mini, driven by his girlfriend, the soul singer Gloria Jones, swerved into a tree.

Jones recovered from serious injuries but Bolan died aged 29. Despite his relatively short life, some of Bolan's songs, such as "20th Century Boy" and "Get It On", are revered as being among the best examples of glam rock.

Fans of Bolan who wanted a fitting memorial to the star commissioned the Canadian sculptor Jean Robillard to create the £7,000 bust.

Fi Warner, a member of the T Rex Action Group, said the statue was a lasting memorial to "a working class hero of rock". She said: "He is an icon. It is amazing how many fans he still has and the influence he has had on music."

Chris Welch, a rock critic who became close friends with Bolan while working on Melody Maker during the 1970s, said Bolan would have been "touched and amused" by the bust.

"He gave birth to glam rock just as David Bowie was doing the same thing and he always aspired to be one of the all-time greats," Mr Welch said.

"He loved the whole idea of pop fameand lived the life in the 70s, driving around in a Bentley and living in a mansion in the West End of London. I'm sure if he were alive today, he would be something of a guru."