Marianne Faithfull was a singer and actress who became a pop icon in the 1960s thanks to a string of successful singles and movies, as well as a romance with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.
- Died: January 30, 2025 (Who else died on January 30?)
- Details of death: Died in London at the age of 78.
- We invite you to share condolences for Marianne Faithfull in our Guest Book.
Marianne Faithfull’s legacy
The 1960s British Invasion was not just about rock and roll. Much of that era is also defined by English pop stars like Marianne Faithfull, whose singles like “As Tears Go By,” “Come and Stay with Me,” and “Summer Nights” were part of the soundtrack of the period. Couple that with popular films like “I’ll Never Forget What’s’isname” and “The Girl on a Motorcycle,” as well as a highly publicized romance with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, and you have a formula for a 1960s icon.
Faithfull began performing folk music in small coffeehouses in 1964, where the young singer’s then-high voice helped her land a record deal. Her debut single, “As Tears Go By,” was written by Jagger and Keith Richards. It ended up being a Top 10 hit in the UK and Canada and a Top 40 hit in the U.S., launching a career in music that would span seven decades. Other singles followed, with “This Little Bird,” “Come and Stay with Me,” and “Summer Nights” all making the Top 40 in the U.S.
Health complications and drug abuse changed her voice in the 1970s, in some ways making her later music unrecognizable when compared to her ‘60s work. Regardless, a 1979 Grammy-nominated comeback, which featured a much different-sounding Faithfull, proved she could still deliver. That album, “Broken English,” went platinum in several countries, was nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and included the single “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan,” by poet and songwriter Shel Silverstein.
She never stopped producing music after this, releasing at least a few albums a decade through her most recent, 2021’s “She Walks in Beauty.” Later albums like “Easy Come, Easy Go,” “Give My Love to London,” and “Negative Capability” were all top 40 hits in Europe.
She also continued acting, both on screen and on stage, including in the 2006 film by Sofia Coppola, “Marie Antoinette,” as well as a wide array of theater productions. Faithfull wrote three books about her often turbulent life: “Faithfull: An Autobiography,” “Memories, Dreams & Reflections,” and “Marianne Faithfull: A Life on Record.”
Notable quote
“To be frank, I always knew I was something quite extraordinary. It was as if I had a lot of potential but would never fulfil it. I blew it on purpose or had no confidence.”—Interview with The Guardian, 2024
Tributes to Marianne Faithfull
Full obituary: BBC News
