Marianne Faithfull, who was a defining figure of sixties and seventies British pop culture, has died at the age of 78.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull,” her spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.
“Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed.”
Icon of Britain’s Swinging Sixties
Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull was born in London on December 29, 1946. Her father was a British secret service officer. Her mother was closely related to the Austrian aristocracy.
The singer shot to fame in 1964 with her first hit, “As Tears Go By,” written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones. A string of successful singles followed, including “Come And Stay with Me,” “This Little Bird” and “Summer Nights.”
Faithfull appeared in films such as “The Girls on a Motorcycle” and theater productions, and was known for her stormy relationship with Stones frontman Jagger.
The Rolling Stones led the tributes to Faithfull, with Jagger saying he was “saddened” by the death of his “wonderful friend.” “She was so much part of my life for so long,” Jagger wrote on Instagram, adding: “She will always be remembered”.
A life full of ups and downs
But she also had her share of hardships.
Faithfull became addicted to heroin and suffered from anorexia when her relationship with Jagger ended, and spent two years living on the streets of London’s Soho district in the early 1970s.
She ultimately released 21 solo albums over the course of her career, including 1979’s critically acclaimed Broken English, which earned her a Grammy nomination, and wrote three autobiographies.
Faithfull’s final album She Walks in Beauty was released in 2021 after she recovered from a serious case of COVID-19. In March 2022, Faithfull was reported to have moved to Denville Hall, a London-based retirement home that houses actors and other professional performers.
js,dh/jcg,zc (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
