Important New Marc Bolan Biography Published On The Thirty Fifth Anniversary Of His Death

RIDE A WHITE SWAN

The lives and death of

MARC BOLAN

Lesley-Ann Jones

Published by Hodder on 13th September 2012 in hardback and eBook, priced

£19.99

At the peak of his popularity Marc Bolan was outselling Jimi Hendrix and The Who, and yet, relatively little is really known about this hypnotic and enigmatic star. In her new biography, respected music journalist and broadcaster Lesley-Ann Jones is given access to those who knew Bolan best, and paints a vivid and revealing portrait of a legend.

Published to tie in with the 35th anniversary of Marc’s death, and his 65th birthday, Lesley-Ann Jones digs deep into Marc Bolan’s life, and follows him from his childhood growing up in Stoke Newington through his meteoric rise to fame, his descent into a drug-fuelled rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, to his tragic and untimely death. Lesley-Ann interviewed everyone from Marc’s brother Harry Feld and Jeff Dexter, Marc's oldest and closest friend, to his former band mate and last-surviving T-Rex member Bill Legend, his former partner Gloria Jones and his son, Rolan.

Through these interviews Lesley-Ann Jones uncovers fascinating new material on Marc’s and adolescence. During this time his desire to be a star coloured all his actions and relationships, including that with his first manager, Geoffrey Delaroy-Hall, who was probably 15 year-old Marc’s first gay lover and started a pattern of flirtations and affairs with those who could advance his career. Never a man to do things by halves Marc Bolan’s flamboyant love life reads like a film script and epitomizes the swinging sixties he grew up in.

Lesley-Ann also examines his complex relationship with friend and rival David Bowie, and through insights from those in Marc’s circle, in particular Tony Visconti who produced many of both Marc and David’s hits, builds a picture of a relationship founded on mutual liking and respect and tempered through fierce jealousy and competition. Lesley-Ann discovers that despite their ups and downs, Marc and David remained firm friends and were even planning a full-scale collaboration in the lead up to Marc’s death.

Lesley will be talking to Jon Kirkman about Marc Bolan and her new book on Classic Rock radio