Legendary English singer Marianne Faithfull has died at the age of 78.
According to a statement from her family, Faithfull “passed away peacefully” on Thursday, January 30th. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
A defining voice of the 1960s, Faithfull first rose to fame with the song “As Tears Go By,” which was written for her by The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. She proceeded to release several more hit singles throughout the decade, but her career became largely overshadowed by her tumultuous personal life, which included a high-profile relationship with Jagger and battles with addiction. Several of The Rolling Stones’ songs were apparently inspired by Jagger and Faithfull’s relationship, including “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Wild Horses,” and “Sister Morphine.”
After years of struggle, including prolonged periods of homelessness, Faithfull made a triumphant comeback in 1979 with Broken English. The album not only reaffirmed her as a formidable artist but also laid bare the toll of years of drug abuse—her once-clear and melodic voice now husky and weathered, adding a raw, haunting depth to her music.
Reestablished as a recording artist, Faithfull released albums on a consistent basis over the next four decades to varying degrees of critical acclaim. Notable releases included 1987’s Strange Weather, produced by Hal Willner, which was recorded in the aftermath of a 17-year heroin addiction; 1990’s Blazing Away, a live album featuring Garth Hudson and Dr. John; 2002’s Kissin Time, which included collaborations with Blur, Beck, Jarvis Cocker, and Billy Corgan; and 2005’s Before the Poison, recorded in collaboration with PJ Harvey and Nick Cave.
Faithfull also collaborated with Roger Waters on a live staging of Pink Floyd’s The Wall in 1990; with The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and Charlie Watts on the 1994 track “Ghost Dance”; and with Metallica on “The Memory Remains” from their 1997 album Reload.
In 2020, Faithfull was hospitalized for pneumonia after testing positive for coronavirus, and temporarily lost her ability to sing. Her final album, a spoke-word record called She Walks in Beauty, was released in 2021.