Marianne Faithfull, British singer and Rolling Stones muse, dies at 78

Marianne Faithfull, a singer and actress known for hits like "As Tears Go By," died Thursday, a spokesperson confirmed. She was 78.

"It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull," a statement provided to USA TODAY read. "Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed."

A cause of death was not provided.

Faithfull's music rose to popularity in the 1960s, and helped helm the female wing of the British invasion, a term for U.K. artists becoming popular in the U.S. commonly associated with The Beatles.

Her musical career − a prolific and scandal-ridden five decades marked by confessional lyrics, and albums across several genres − ran parallel to growing success on the screen.

With films like "Hamlet," "The Girl on a Motorcycle" and, much later, Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette," Faithfull proved her talent for storytelling was not limited to her own life.

Both a household name and a victim of her circumstances, Faithfull's story was punctuated by a bouts of tragedy. Her experiences with homelessness and drug addiction made the longevity of her career a true phoenix story.

Faithfull met Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham in her teens, according to The Guardian, kicking off a fruitful and fraught period of collaboration with the band − in particular, frontman Mick Jagger.

Oldham asked Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards to pen Faithfull's debut single "As Tears Go By" in 1964 which went on to become one of her most famous tracks.

In 1965, Faithfull married artist John Dunbar, with whom she had a son, but soon left the marriage to be with Jagger, the outlet reports. In the four-year relationship that ensued, she became a muse for one of the biggest rock bands in the world and fell into a worsening spiral of drug addiction.

In a miraculous fall from the height of fame, Faithfull lost custody of her child and wound up homeless on the streets of London.

Speaking on those years, she told Details magazine in 1993: "It destroyed me. To be a male drug addict and to act like that is always enhancing and glamorising. A woman in that situation becomes a slut and a bad mother."

In 1967 she pulled off a comeback with "Dreamin' My Dreams," a country album, which barely made ripples in Britain but became a cult success in Ireland. Faithfull became fully clean and sober until over a decade later.

Releasing a total of 21 studio albums, Faithfull collaborated with artists like Emmylou Harris, Beck and Metallica.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use disorders, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. The service is free, confidential and available in English and Spanish. 

This story has been updated to include additional information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marianne Faithfull dead: Rolling Stones muse, British singer was 78