Marianne Faithfull: tributes pour in for late singer who dies aged 78
Key points
Marianne Faithfull, the iconic British singer and actor and a legend with a powerful voice and a lasting impact in the swinging sixties, has died aged 78.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull,” a statement said. “Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed.”
Faithfull first rose to prominence with her 1964 single ‘As Tears Go By’, a song written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. She experienced a life full of trials and tribulations but rose to become an icon in both cinema and music, and her work will forever be cherished and cherished worldwide.
Remembering Marianne Faithfull
We sign off our coverage here, remembering that Marianne Faithfull played a significant role in the changing of society as we know it today.
While she might be well-known for inspiring classic Rolling Stones songs and for holding a reputation as one of the 1960s’ wildest children, Faithfull was a versatile musician and actor who paved the way for female singers at a time when men dominated the industry. She made it through the toughest of times, leaving behind a legacy as one of British music’s most iconic figures.
Read more: Marianne Faithfull: the legacy of a courageous British pop icon
Metallica: “Thank you, Marianne”
Metallica teamed up with Faithfull in 1997 when she provided backing vocals on their track ‘The Memory Remains’. Now, drummer Lars Ulrich has taken to the band’s official X account to share a selection of photos from the recording session along with a poignant eulogy.
Ulrich wrote: “Thank you, Marianne… For the good times For your kindness For the great stories For your fearlessness …And the biggest Thank You and Fuck Yeah for your incredible and unique contribution to our music, and for always being so willing to join us in performing it…and partake in the ensuing shenanigans! Rest in Peace”.
Keith Richards: “I’m so sad”
Keith Richards, shortly after his bandmate Mick Jagger, has taken to Twitter to remember Faithfull.
The guitarist has kept it short and sweet (and it certainly reads like an 81-year-old using social media) as he said: “My heartfelt condolences to Marianne’s family! I’m so sad and will miss her!!”
Warren Ellis pays tribute
Warren Ellis, who collaborated with Faithfull on the relentlessly captivating 2021 album She Walks in Beauty, has shared a short but bloody beautiful tribute.
He wrote: “Farewell Queen. I love you.”
What a cracking photo…
[Link]Mick Jagger remembers Marianne Faithfull
In what must be a horrendously sad moment, the Rolling Stones frontman has paid tribute to Marianne Faithfull, the woman who played such a monumental role in his life.
“I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull,” he wrote. “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”.
Julian Lennon: “She was one of a kind”
John Lennon’s son, Julian, has taken to social media to pay tribute, describing Faithfull as a “uniquely special soul”.
He wrote: “So very sad to hear of Marianne Faithfull’s passing”.
“A uniquely special soul, she was one of a kind—someone who truly did stand out among her contemporaries. Deepest condolences to her family and friends.”
Faithfull’s battle with breast cancer in 2006
In 2006, Faithfull was forced to postpone her tour due to being diagnosed with breast cancer. Ever the fighter, she overcame this serious health scare and later reflected to The Telegraph in 2011 of the battle: “Maybe not as afraid as I should have been. All I can say is I’ve been lucky with my body. Well done little body. I praise it and say you’re very good.”
“Cancer doesn’t make you feel sexy. It took me a long time to get over it. I went right off sex and that was a difficult moment because when I felt better again François had fallen in love with someone else,” she added of her break-up with François Ravard.
[Link]How Marianne Faithfull overcame homelessness
Following the hit release of ‘As Tears Go By’ in 1964, Marianne Faithfull quickly became one of the era’s queens of cool, a position that was bolstered by a series of hits and a high-profile relationship with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.
For a while, everything Faithfull touched turned to gold. However, as the decade wore on, her drug use and hard living started to take their toll. By the dawn of the 1970s, her light had been majorly dimmed, with her tumultuous relationship with Jagger ending and her lifestyle seriously damaging her voice. Demonstrating how swift fortunes can change, during the early 1970s, she ended up homeless on the streets of London’s Soho for a couple of years.
While there are many questions about how this could happen to such a cultural icon, it did. Faithfull wandered Soho’s streets for two years with a crippling heroin addiction and a battle with anorexia nervosa engulfing her. In a real success story, thanks to her grit and help from friends, she eventually re-emerged in 1979 with her masterpiece, Broken English.
Her experience on the streets wasn’t all bad, though, and when speaking to The Guardian in 2013, Faithfull reflected on the positive lesson this period taught her. She said: “Oh, I don’t know what they’d do now. I was lucky. People looked after me, the meths drinkers, junkies. I learned that human beings are really all right. I didn’t know that from my posh life in the 60s. It was very bitchy and people were cruel to each other. I was on the street for two years, but it was better than staying at my mother’s and being under her thumb.”
Tony Blackburn pays tribute
Veteran broadcaster Tony Blackburn, who still has a weekly show on BBC Radio 2, was an ever-present figure during Faithfull’s rise to prominence and followed her entire career from beginning to end.
Taking to X, Blackburn said of her loss: “Sorry to hear that 69’s singer Marianne Faithfull has died at the age of 78. She gave us some great songs to play. R.I.P.”
Remembering Faithfull’s duet with David Bowie on American TV
Recorded for American television on October 19th 1973, below is some of the best footage of David Bowie performing as part of a duet. The clip sees Bowie team up with equally inspiring and forward-thinking Faithfull for a simply beguiling rendition of Sonny & Cher’s ‘I Got You Babe’.
It’s a glorious gem which sees Bowie in full shock mode while Faithfull is dressed as some form of BDSM nun.
Marianne Faithfull’s recent health struggles
In 2021, Faithfull opened up about the extremity of her battle with Covid-19 and the lasting effects it had upon her health. While it stopped her from being able to sing, it was nothing short of a miracle that she continued to live until 2025.
During an interview with The Guardian in 2021, her collaborator on her final album 2021’s She Walks in Beauty, Warren Ellis, shared, “She wasn’t actually meant to make it through. That she survived it – it’s insane.”
However, there was lasting damage, as Faithfull shared, “Three things: the memory, fatigue and my lungs are still not OK – I have to have oxygen and all that stuff. The side-effects are so strange. Some people come back from it but they can’t walk or speak. Awful.”
Tim Burgess remembers Marianne Faithfull
The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess has paid an emotional tribute to the late British singer and recalled the life-changing moment he first heard her impactful voice while on a school trip.
Taking to X, Burgess shared: “I first heard Broken English on a school trip in 1980 and it blew my mind. She was such a free spirit and true talent. We met in Amsterdam in 1994 and spent an afternoon chatting and in between interviews – going to listen to Why D’Ya Do it, right now.”
How Marianne Faithfull was discovered
Faithfull didn’t set out to become a singer, instead, it was a chance meeting which led to her finding her voice. In 1964, she attended a launch party for a release by The Rolling Stones with her then-boyfriend, artist John Dunbar, which changed her life forever.
Watch Faithfull explain it in her own words here.
‘As Tears Go By’
‘As Tears Go By’ is a glorious song. One of Marianne Faithfull’s most enduring singles.
The track was written by Rolling Stones partners in crime, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, in tandem with their manager, the eccentric Andrew Loog Oldham. Although The Stones would enjoy success with the track, it would be Marianne Faithfull who really made it her own.
Released in 1964, ‘As Tears Go By’ peaked at number nine on the singles charts and helped to confirm the British vocalist as one of the most unmistakable figures of the era.
Illness and stepping back
Faithfull suffered from various health conditions throughout the later years of her life, announcing a breast cancer diagnosis in 2006, after which she made a complete recovery. However, in 2020, Faithfull was hospitalised after contracting pneumonia after catching Covid-19.
Following her recovery, she revealed that the illness had affected her ability to sing, as well as causing breathing and memory issues.
[Link]Marianne Faithfull dead at 78
Marianne Faithfull died at the age of 78; the news was confirmed in a statement issued by her spokesperson.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull,” a statement said.
“Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed.
Tributes continue to pour in for the late singer.
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