British Singer and Actor Marianne Faithfull Dies Aged 78
The singer and actor was best known for her hit single, ‘As Tears Go By’.
Image by Jean Baptiste Mondino (Facebook)
Singer and actor Marianne Faithfull has passed away at the age of 78. “Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family,” a statement from her spokesperson said via BBC News. “She will be dearly missed.”
Tributes have flowed for the ‘60s bombshell, with her former partner Mick Jagger taking to X to post the following statement: “I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull. She was so much part of my life for so long. She was a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress. She will always be remembered.”
Born in Hampstead in December 1946, Faithfulll rose to fame in 1965 after releasing the single, ‘As Tears Go By’, the first song written by Rolling Stones’ members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. She quickly became a big star and released a slew of folk-pop records, becoming one of the faces of the British invasion era. During this time she also hooked up with Jagger, inspiring many of the Stones’ biggest hits, including ‘Wild Horses’ and ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want.’
Sadly, success had a negative impact on Faithfull’s personal life, with the singer falling into drug addiction, battling an eating disorder and ending up homeless, living on the streets of Soho, London. She managed to beat her addictions and returned in the 70s with two defining albums that relaunched her career – Dreamin’ My Dreams (1976) and the Grammy-nominated Broken English (1979).
Faithfull was also an accomplished actor, making her stage debut in the 1967 adaptation of Chekhov's Three Sisters. She would go on to star in a host of films, including Jean-Luc Godard's Made in U.S.A., Jack Cardiff’s The Girl on a Motorcycle and Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette.
She continued to release music right up until her passing, with her most recent album, She Walks in Beauty, a collaboration with the great Warren Ellis. Faithfull also found a new audience thanks to her work with modern artists such as PJ Harvey, Metallica, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker.
Faithfull suffered from several health issues over the years. She was diagnosed with the liver illness hepatitis C and beat breast cancer in 2006. She also dealt with chronic arthritis and contracted COVID-19 in 2020, resulting in a 22 hospital stay.
She was married three times and is survived by her son, Nicholas Dunbar.
