British actress and singer Marianne Faithfull, known for her association with The Rolling Stones, passed away Thursday at the age of 78, her rep confirmed to ABC Audio.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull,” read the statement. “Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed.”
Faithfull was discovered by Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham at a party in 1964, and she had her first U.S. hit with “As Tears Go By,” a song written by Loog Oldham, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards that was later a top 10 hit for the Stones. Faithfull released her self-titled debut album in 1965, which was a commercial success, peaking at #12 in the U.S.
Faithfull and Jagger were in a romantic relationship from 1966 to 1970, and she has often been considered one of Jagger’s muses. She reportedly inspired “Sympathy for the Devil” and she also claimed to have inspired “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and “Wild Horses.”
During the ’60s and ’70s, Faithfull battled substance abuse issues that, along with a severe case of laryngitis, changed her voice, giving it a permanently raspy sound. After years away from recording, she had a comeback in 1979 with the release of her seventh studio album, Broken English. The critically acclaimed album earned Faithfull a Grammy for best female rock vocal performance.
She released her most recent album, She Walks In Beauty, in 2021, which she began recording following a serious battle with COVID-19.
Faithfull also had a longstanding acting career, appearing in movies, TV and on stage. Her resume includes such films as 1968’s The Girl on a Motorcycle and 1969’s Hamlet. She infamously played God in two episodes of the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, and she recently lent her distinctive voice to a character in the 2021 film Dune.
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