Marianne Faithfull, the legendary British singer, songwriter, actress and Mick Jagger’s celebrated “muse” during the Rolling Stones’ meteoric ‘60s rise, passed away on Thursday at the age of 78.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull. Marianne passed away peacefully in London today in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed,” was the statement issued by a spokesperson.
Faithfull has long been considered one of “hippest” symbols of the “Swinging Sixties” scene of London, beginning her career in 1964 with hit ‘As Tears Go By’, a song written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and the Stones’ manager, Andrew Loog Oldham.
A divorce from her first husband was followed by a tumultuous and highly publicized relationship with Jagger, heroin addiction and destitution, such as sleeping “rough” on the streets of Soho.
According to Reuters, she made a remarkable comeback with her 1979 album ‘Broken English’, “reestablishing her as a formidable talent in the music industry.”
In an interview with the Guardian, she said: “It’s very, very strange to think about it. It was such a degraded moment, to live on a wall and shoot drugs…it was exactly what I needed at that time… it was complete anonymity. I wanted to disappear – and I did.”
In her later years, she struggled with major health issues, including breast cancer and more than 20 days of intubation due to Covid-19 in 2020.
Faithfull is survived by her son, Nicholas Dunbar.
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Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger and British pop singer Marianne Faithfull shown leaving home in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, England on May 29, 1969. The pair was heading to a hearing at Marlborough St. Court on charges of drug possession. (AP Photo)