Spirit works in wonderful ways! For several days, I was being told to check out the BBC TV website. I always go with what I’m told because it leads me to something wonderful. Once I got to the site, I was told to “Click on Documentary”. I did and in big black letters I saw to my amazement “Marc Bolan – Cosmic Dancer”! I was stunned. Then it dawned on me that Marc’s birthday was coming up (September 30th) and that he had passed forty years ago last September 16th. Obviously two big milestones, but I guess I was still surprised to see that the BBC remembered him. I don’t normally watch shows about him, but I knew he wanted me to watch this one so I did. (I even got a running commentary as they had an actor voicing statements that Marc had made. After one sentence, Marc said “I was full of such bullshit” and then at another point “I looked really natty in that outfit didn’t I?”) I always find it surreal that the Marc I speak to and joke around with is the same Marc Bolan. Here I put Marc on the witness stand and ask him for some insights.
Diane: Marc, what are your thoughts about the new BBC documentary about your life “Cosmic Dancer”?
Marc: Well, it’s actually cool isn’t it that I’m still remembered after so many years!
Diane: You were telling me how moved you were that many of your friends took part and are giving their recollections about you?
Marc: Yes that is very moving for me to have them speak about me when I was playing the role of Marc Bolan. Very moving for me.
Diane: Do you feel that it was a role for you?
Marc: Well…yes, although, of course, many of the emotions and feelings I had as Marc are truly part of my core.
Diane: Yes, as I was watching it, I felt the same way. But you want to point out that there are differences too right?
Marc: Well yeah….I mean…I was Marc Bolan right and he is very dear to me, but I’m not that person anymore you know. Marc could be pretty insecure at times, but I don’t use insecurity anymore. It isn’t relevant to where I’m at now. Marc was the center of my universe then, and that’s the way I wanted and needed it to be in order for me to achieve what I set out to do that time. Now, of course, that isn’t my focus.
Diane: What would you say your focus is now?
Marc: Well man, connecting to those still on earth via this blog. I’m into kids not being told that what they dream is wrong or can’t be achieved. And I’m into helping you get through everyday (I saw his eyes roll up when he said that – Marc being silly!) and helping you grow and be more connected spiritually. It’s what we planned.
Diane: I know and I cherish every second we have together! So part of the documentary said that you had a big ego. I think you’ve said that too and you flash me back to how you were then, but that isn’t the Marc I know now. So I guess what I’m trying to ask is, do you feel that you were different than people preceived you?
Marc: Well, I’m not sure how everyone perceived me to tell you the truth. Most of the people didn’t know me personally, so they will have their own interpretations. I’m sure what they experienced would be much like how I felt for people like Elvis, James Dean, and Eddie Cochrane. But I didn’t really know them personally so I just had my perceptions of them. But are you asking how I feel I’m different now or was I different then from the general perceptions?
Diane: Whichever you want to answer.
Marc: Well, yeah, I’ll admit…I lived in my own fantasy world, but I’m generally like that and it’s not that I was a loon. It’s that I had the recognition or the remembrance of what life is like over here – on the “other side” – which it isn’t really. I was extremely aware that I delved into concepts that most people didn’t even entertain had possibilities. Fantasy is real! It’s when you ignore all these wonderful things and limit your awareness that your vision narrows. My vision was never narrow because I never put those limitations on myself.
Diane: The documentary showed you as someone who could be quite fragile. I’ve never seen that, but I didn’t know you in that life. You are the most sensitive soul I’ve ever met, but not fragile by any means.
Marc: Emotionally I could be very fragile. You see…I wanted to be loved and it meant more to me to have the love of millions of fans I didn’t know – sometimes more than love from the people around me. Yes, now of course, I don’t need external love as I did then. I have all the love I need within and feel blessed to share that with others – and feel so fortunate when love is given to me. I know now what a treasure that is and how it shouldn’t be taken lightly. That doesn’t sound like something a rock star would say huh?
Diane: Maybe not, but it sounds like something you would say. So it’s been seventy years since you were born as Marc and forty years since you passed over. Is there anything you would like to say about either one of those events?
Marc: Well, I’d say that the world was a very lucky place when I came into it back in ’47!
Diane: I know you’re being silly, but it’s the truth!
Marc: You know, I could sometimes take myself very seriously. I really did and it broke me apart if people didn’t like me or turned on me.
Diane: So that was you learning more about you right?
Marc: That’s right! I needed to react against something.
Diane: I know something that’s similar – then vs now. People loved you then and they still do!
Marc: Yes, I’m very fortunate, but as Marc, that wasn’t always the case. Many people didn’t like me. I just tried to cover up any ill feelings and say I didn’t need them. I’d be better off without them and they’d regret doing me wrong. That was my way of dealing with it.
Diane: But you are telling me (intuitively) that towards the end of that life, you grew up a bit right?
Marc: I did. I wanted to feel as if I’d done it all on my own, but of course, that’s ridiculous. Everyone I came into contact with had some effect on me and I couldn’t have done what I did without the people who helped me and my fans.
Diane: So from your viewpoint now, you helped them to discover things about themselves as well.
Marc: Yeah, how to handle an insecure, egomaniacal rock star!
Diane: Aw come on!
Marc: Yes, you’re right. Of course, like all lives, I had influences on other people – just like they had on me. I’m sure I’m still having an influence on people’s lives and probably will do until they pass back over here.
Diane: Then what will happen? Do you run into your fans over there?
Marc: Sometimes, even though they are aware that was just one of my many personas. They’ll stop by and say “Hey, you were Marc Bolan! I was at the Wembley concert!” Or “I couldn’t stand your mug all over the place!” or “I didn’t like you because my girlfriend had a bigger crush on you than she did on me!” They are all very nice. Kind of a trip down memory lane.
Diane: So what would you like to say, if anything, to the people who miss you or feel sad that you left so early. (I know I’ve asked him that before, but for some reason, it came up again.)
Marc: Well I would say that I am honored that they still remember me. And part of Marc Bolan will always live in me and more importantly through what I left behind – my music. Maybe there will be a time capsule and they’ll put a T Rex LP in there – or single. Then someone in the “future” will find it and will have to figure out how to play it! But of course, it’s lovely to be remembered and still be loved. I feel it from here. Of course I do.
Diane: You would have been 70 today if you were still here. How would that have appealed to you?
Marc: You already know that answer.
Diane: Yeah, but our readers may not.
Marc: Well it’s hard for me to conceptualize because it would never have happened. It was never going to happen. I’m not going into why I left as early as I did, but I will say, that I left when I was ready and that I’m not sad. I’m not unhappy. I’m still a mega creator like I was as Marc. Instead of fantasizing about wizards, elves and stardom, I can create whatever I want. I’m still alive – just in a different form and yeah…I don’t have some of the traits that I had as Marc because I’m not in a human body. But…my core being is the same. I still look fantastic (he’s being funny here but it’s true!), consider myself an artist, love to travel, am amazed by the wonders of the universe (and beyond), smile when I’m happy, laugh often (because I have a wicked sense of humour), and love beyond anything that I could have imagined or felt as Marc.
Diane: Aw, so wonderful Marc! Thanks so much for sharing. We have talks like this all the time, but I think it’s lovely that you wanted to share these personal ones with everyone. I think you wanted to do this now because of these two very special milestones for Marc right?
Marc: Maybe in another ten years, I’ll talk like this again when I would have been 80!
Diane: Gosh…well maybe I’ll still be able to write it all down, but I’m not getting any younger either!
Marc: No you aren’t Diane.
(We always tease each other. He was showing me an image of me having to push a pen around with my nose!)
Diane: Gee thanks! Well, you never know. So any closing remarks birthday boy?
Marc: Not really. I just want to thank everyone who still believes in me and what I created as Marc. I’ve had thousands of lives, but I have to admit that Marc was one of my favorites.
Diane: You touched and reached so many people and they still love you and your music!
Marc: Well that is certainly something and it makes me feel very proud. I didn’t realize at the time, I guess, quite the impact that I was having. Of course, I knew that I was famous but I think I got away from what my music meant to other people because I was so wrapped up in the drama of it all. It wasn’t until I passed over that I saw that people were playing my music at their weddings or on a first date. I got to feel the full effect of that and it was very emotional for me.
Diane: Yes, most people may touch a few handfuls of lives or maybe hundreds, but you touched millions. How does that feel?
Marc: As you can imagine – it’s wonderful.
© Bolan-Beaty Boogie
September 30, 2017