In 1972, David Bowie made waves with The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. His art, then and after that, made him one of the most influential pioneers of glam rock. Subsequently, it also established him as a musical icon.
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While it’s difficult to look at glam rock without acknowledging Bowie’s influence, other musicians, like his friend and rival Marc Bolan, also made their mark on the genre. Bowie would prove himself to be the bigger star in time. However, it was Bolan’s early success that actually gave their relationship a bit of a “frenemy” dynamic.
In 1971, Bolan made a name for himself as part of the band T. Rex (Tyrannosaurus Rex at the time), which combined glitter and sequins with a folk-rock sound. But before this, Bolan was playing guitar for Bowie on tracks like “The Prettiest Star”, which was released on this day in 1970. The track was a follow-up to “Space Oddity” and didn’t really do all that well.
Toni Visconti, who produced both Bolan and Bowie, spoke on their dynamic with Rolling Stone. According to him, Bolan was actually “quite cruel about David’s as-yet-unproven musical career.” Bowie would tour with the T. Rex star but would often get boos from the audience, to Bolan’s delight.
Visconti even admitted that Mark likely hired Bowie “not as a musical act, but as a mime.”
Bowie Supports Bolan’s Family After His Death
David Bowie and Marc Bolan met as teens in the 60s. However, as Bowie later shared, Bolan’s early achievements definitely put a strain on their relationship.
“He started getting fairly known, and invited me to do mime performances on his tours and stuff like that,” Bowie explained, as reported by People. “But we kind of drifted, you know, we were at either end of the room by that time, you know, even being sort of superficially pleasant with each other. It was like, who’s gonna do it first?”
Before Bowie had his moment in the sun, Bolan hit the UK top 20 more than once with early projects. Then, in 1977, a time by which Bowie had long established himself commercially, Bolan passed away at the age of 29. According to Bolan’s son, Rolan Bolan, it was at this time that Bowie actually stepped in to help Marc’s family.
“David’s generosity helped us to survive…” Rolan told Daily Mail. “He kept in regular touch by phone and his first and last words were always: ‘Don’t hesitate to tell me if there’s anything I can do.’”
Even despite their glam rock rivalry, it seemed that Bowie and Bolan were able to have respect for each other in the end.
Photo by: Ebet Roberts/Redferns
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