Yahoo Lifestyle Marianne Faithfull, Singer and Actress, Dead at 78
Marianne Faithfull, an English singer and actress who rose to fame in the 1960s, has died. She was 78.
The news was announced by a spokesperson for the late songwriter and pop star, who reportedly died on Thursday, Jan. 30 while in London.
"It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull," the spokesperson said in a statement obtained by the BBC. "Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed."
Part of the "British Invasion" on the U.S. music charts, Faithfull recorded and released the 1964 hit song "As Tears Go By," the first song ever written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. (The Rolling Stones later recorded the song themselves in 1965.)
Faithfull, who was also famous for publicly dating Jagger in the mid-'60s, became a tabloid sensation after being involved in a major drug scandal with Jagger and Richards. She and Jagger eventually parted ways in 1970 after she miscarried his child.
Faithfull appeared on the Stones' 1971 album Sticky Fingers after she had already split with Jagger and lost custody of her son, Nicholas, from her previous marriage to John Dunbar. She even ended up living on the streets of SoHo for a period of time.
Battling substance abuse for years, Faithfull later revitalized her career in the mid-'70s, releasing the album Dreamin' My Dreams in 1976. It was followed by Broken English three years later, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.
Faithfull went on to release a number of other albums, including most recently, She Walks in Beauty, in 2021.
She also made a name for herself in the film industry, known for movies like The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968), Marie Antoinette (2006) and Irina Palm (2007).
Before her death, Faithfull dealt with an onslaught of health issues, including battles with bulimia, breast cancer and emphysema. She was also hospitalized in 2020 following a stint with COVID-19.
Married and divorced three times throughout her life, Faithfull is survived by her current partner, François Ravard.
