Marianne Faithfull Dead at 78: The British Singer and Actor Who Inspired Some of the Rolling Stones’ Biggest Hits

Legendary British singer, songwriter, and actor Marianne Faithfull died at the age of 78. Along with the Beatles and other artists from across the pond, she was a member of the British Invasion of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Additionally, she appeared in several classic films including The Girl on the Motorcycle and an interpretation of Hamlet.

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The BBC confirmed Faithfull’s death earlier today (January 30). They received word of the singer’s passing through her spokesperson.

[RELATED: Review: This Powerful Tribute to Marianne Faithfull Reveals the Diversity of Her Extensive Career]

Faithfull’s life is worthy of a big-screen adaptation. Born in Hampstead, England in 1946, the daughter of a Baroness, she went on to have a film-worthy personal and professional life. The Rolling Stones’ manager discovered her when she was only a teenager after attending a launch party for the band. He later took her under his wing and gave her the song “As Tears Go By,” penned by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The gentle ballad would become a hit.

Bob Dylan courted her but she turned him down. Later, she married artist John Dunbar and had a child with him. Then, she left her family to live with Mick Jagger. She inspired such timeless Stones songs as “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and “Wild Horses.” Additionally, Faithfull introduced Jagger to the novel The Master and Margarita which inspired “Sympathy for the Devil.”

Marianne Faithful Hit Rock Bottom and Came Back

Like many other artists of the ‘60s, Marianne Faithful was no stranger to substance abuse. After her relationship with Mick Jagger fell apart, her life entered a drug-fueled downward spiral. Once a rising star, Faithfull found herself homeless and suffering from substance abuse disorder. She also lost custody of her child.

The hard times she faced changed her and her voice. Once praised for her high and angelic vocals, addiction and laryngitis left Faithfull with a raspy “whiskey-soaked” voice. However, she used her new vocal sound to her advantage as it helped her capture the raw emotions of the songs she would record later in life.

In 1979, she released Broken English, her most successful album. It showed a new side of the singer, capturing the angst of her hard times and her rebirth as a sophisticated post-punk artist.

Faithfull would continue to release music throughout the decades. Her most recent album She Walks in Beauty dropped in 2021.

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