Marianne Faithfull, the legendary singer known for her version of "As Tears Go By," died on January 30 2025 at the age of 78.
Mariane Faithfull was born on December 29 1946 in Hampstead, London. Her father was Major Robert Glynn Faithfull, who was a British intelligence officer and a professor of Italian literature at Bedford College, London University. Her mother was Austrian aristocrat Eva von Sacher-Masoch, Baroness Erisso. Her early life was spent in Ormskirk, Lancashire and then Braziers Park, Oxfordshire. Her parents divorced when she was six years old. Her mother moved with young Marianne Faithfull to Reading, Berkshire. Despite her mother's heritage, the family had little money and Marianne Faithful had bouts of tuberculosis as a child.
Marianne Faithfull started her career as a singer,in 1964 when she performed folk music in London coffeehouses. It was in London that she attended a Rolling Stones release party with artist John Dunbar. There she met The Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham. Her first single, "As Tears Go By," was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones recorded their own version in October 1965). It proved to be a hit for Marianne Faithfull, going to no. 9 on the UK singles chart and no. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Marianne Faithful would have further hits with "Come and Stay with Me." "This Little Bird," "Summer Nights," a cover fo The Beatles' "Yesterday," and "Is This What I Get for Loving You."
Marianne Faithfull's self-titled debut album was released in 1965 and went to no. 15 on the UK albums chart. She recorded over twenty studio albums, the last being She Walks in Beauty in 2021. Marianne Faithfull would have only a few more hit singles following "Is This What I Get for Loving You," including "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan," "Broken English," and "Sister Morphine." Among her most significant albums was Broken English, her 1979 comeback album.
Marianne Faithfull also had an acting career. She made her film debut in 1966 playing herself in Jean-Luc Godard's movie Made in U.S.A.. She made her television debut in 1967 in the French TV movie Anna. She appeared in the film I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967), in which she was one of the first people to ever say the F-word in a mainstream movie. Marianne Faithfull appeared in the films The Girl on the Motorcycle (1968), Hamlet (1969), Ghost Story (1964), Assault on Agathon (1975), When Pigs Fly (1993), Shopping (1964), Moondance (1995), Crimetime (1996), Intimacy (2001), Far from China (2001), Paris, je t'aime (2006), Marine Antoinette (2006), Irina Palm (2007), Faces in the Crowd (2011), and Belle du Seigneur (2012). She was the voice of a Bene Geesserit Ancestor in Dune (2021). She guest starred in 2001 on the two part Absolutely Fabulous episode "The Last Shout."
Marianne Faithfull also appeared on stage. She made her professional stage debut in Three Sisters at the Royal Court Theatre in London. She also appeared in the productions Early Morning (1968), Hamlet (1969), Alice in Wonderland (1973), A Patriot for Me, Mad Dog, The Collector, The Rainmaker, The Kingdom of Earth, The Threepenny Opera, and The Black Rider.
Marianne Faithfull was a remarkable singer. Originally she had a melodic voice that was higher on the register. A combination of laryngitis and drug abuse would alter Marianne Faithfull's voice, making it lower and more raspy. In either case she displayed considerable talent, able to evoke emotion in a way few others singers could. If she became an "It Girl" of Swinging London and a legendary singer, it was largely due to her sheer artistry as a singer.
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