“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull. Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed,” the statement said.
Faithfull was known for her 1960’s hits including “As Tears Go By” which was written by The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, whom she also famously dated. She was discovered at a party in London by The Rolling Stones’ manager Andrew Loog Oldham in 1964 and was just 16 years old when “As Tears Go By” was released.
“I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull,” said Mick jagger. “She was so much part of my life for so long. She was a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress. She will always be remembered.”
Marianne Faithfull has been making music for over 50 years, and was also an actress in the film Girl on a Motorcycle which came out in 1968 as well as Hamlet in 1969 and others. But at the end of the 1960s she had fallen into a deep battle with drug addiction which would endure for years before mounting a series of creative comebacks in the following decades.
Faithfull ended her relationship with Jagger in May 1970 after she started an affair with Anglo-Irish nobleman “Paddy” Rossmore. She also lost custody of her son in that same year, which led to her attempting suicide. Faithfull’s personal life went into decline, and her career went into a tailspin. She made only a few appearances, including an October 1973 performance with David Bowie, singing Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe.”