Biography
Marc Bolan — rocker (t-rex) with roots in the Russian Empire
Marc Bolan was a British musician and singer-songwriter who founded T. Rex and became one of the defining figures of glam rock — the genre that bridged the late 1960s hippie scene and the 1970s punk explosion. Get It On, Telegram Sam, Metal Guru, and Children of the Revolution are among his immortal tracks.
Russian Connection
Tracing the roots — Poland / Russia
Born Mark Feld in London in 1947, his father Simeon Feld had Polish and Russian-Jewish ancestry — part of the Eastern European Jewish immigrant community in London's East End. Bolan's theatrical reinvention of himself — the glitter, the feather boas, the persona — carries the immigrant child's gift for self-creation.
Family Tree
Subject
Marc Bolan🇬🇧 UK
↑
Father
Simeon Feld
↑
Origin
Poland / Russia🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
.svg?width=900)
Poland / Russia. At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
Co-founded T. Rex — glam rock pioneers
02
Get It On (1971), Telegram Sam (1972), Metal Guru (1972) — defining glam anthems
03
Ride a White Swan (1970) — launched the glam rock movement
04
10 UK Top 10 singles in a row (1970-1973)
05
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame consideration; major influence on David Bowie and punk
Sources