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Marianne Faithfull, rock ‘n’ roll chanteuse and Rolling Stones muse, dies at 78

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Marianne Faithfull, a renowned singer, actress, and iconic figure of the ’60s London scene, began her 1994 autobiography with a statement that mirrored a quote we often used: “There’s no need to apologize or explain yourself.” And, true to form, she has neither apologized nor explained herself in this book.

Faithfull, who was once referred to as “the drug-soaked realm of Chelsea,” passed away peacefully in London on Thursday, surrounded by her loved ones. Her passing has been confirmed by a representative to The Times. At the age of 78, she had been dealing with the lasting impacts of a severe COVID-19 illness that nearly took her life in 2020.

“She will be dearly missed,” the spokesperson told The Times in a statement.

In a straightforward manner, Marianne Faithfull’s songs, adaptations, and tumultuous life exemplified her fearless attitude. As Frank McGuinness, the Irish playwright, put it, she was “fascinating… complex and unusual.” Hailing from Austro-Hungarian nobility, Faithfull garnered attention at just 17 years old in 1964 with “As Tears Go By,” a song penned by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

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Over the span of fifty years in her artistic career, she released solo albums such as “Broken English,” a powerful comeback from 1979, “Strange Weather” produced by Hal Willner in 1987, and “Negative Capabilities” with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, which she put out in 2018.

Throughout her journey, she utilized a gravelly voice tinged from smoking to analyze the works of Berthold Brecht and Kurt Weill, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, Leonard Cohen, PJ Harvey, Neko Case, Dolly Parton, Morrissey, and others.

As a devoted cinemagoer, I’d say Faithful was like a versatile director who continually reimagined her musical canvas with every new decade. She eagerly adopted modern tunes and partners as fuel for her unique alto, an instrument that took on a more ominous tone the older she became.

At a gathering in London, she was known for her high-pitched singing voice, or soprano, when she encountered her future boyfriend, Jagger, along with other notable figures like Richards, McCartney, and Peter Asher. Not long after, she was discovered by Rolling Stones’ producer Andrew Loog Oldham. A short while later, Faithfull found herself in the recording studio with Jagger, Richards, and Oldham.

During the 1960s, Faithfull was well-known in London’s tabloids and found herself at the heart of the vibrant music and fashion culture. She contributed backing vocals to the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” and the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil,” and socialized with Bob Dylan during his groundbreaking 1965 concerts in England. In 1967, Faithfull became notorious when she was pictured wrapped in a fur rug during a drug raid at Richards’ residence.

With a quick sense of humor, an astute mind, and captivating charm, Faithfull found herself in spaces that countless Beatles fans dreamt of entering. In her autobiography, she recounts socializing with Dylan and the Beatles during their height of popularity: “Goodness gracious, how could I have ever imagined these seemingly timid boys were divine beings?

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Her aristocratic background might have predisposed her to lead a bohemian lifestyle. Faithfull was born on December 29, 1946, to a baroness mother named Eva. She hails from a lineage that includes Leopold Baron von Sacher Masoch, who is famously known for introducing the concept of “masochism” in his erotic novel “Venus in Furs.

In her autobiography “Faithfull: An Autobiography”, she described her father as a British intelligence spy with an intense, eccentric personality. This quirky trait seemed to run in the family, as her paternal grandfather, who was a sexologist, invented a gadget known as “the frigidity machine”. His invention aimed at stimulating the primal sexual energy and claimed to solve global issues.

Following the achievement of “As Tears Go By” (which the Rolling Stones recorded a version of a year after), Faithfull pursued her music career and maintained a relationship with Jagger until 1970. In her autobiography, she described those years as: “A series of aimless intellectual conversations, drug use, sophisticated socialites, idle dabblers, and high mischief. I knew I was on my journey!

During the ’70s, my journey primarily revolved around drugs. In simple terms, I hopped on a train to London and remained absent from home for extended periods, except for rare instances when I’d return briefly for a bath. With no identity or funds, I had neither a phone nor a permanent address. I was a mere shadow of my former self, existing without proper sustenance. The once vibrant me, faded away, leaving behind an emaciated figure.

Without a recording contract or backing from the music industry, she gained attention primarily as a troubled former lover or fallen noblewoman.

Without any significant music deals or industry support, she was mostly known for her controversial past as an ex-girlfriend addicted to drugs or a disgraced aristocrat.

In the mid-1970s, Faithfull cleaned up her act and later surprised everyone in 1979 with “Broken English.” Due to damaged vocal cords, excessive smoking, and other vices, her voice had grown deeper. This album emerged following the British punk movement, but it wasn’t strictly a punk album. Instead, it was raw, unapologetic, profane, truthful.

Beyond the main theme, Faithfull reworked John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero” into a powerful feminist song and garnered widespread interest with “Why’d You Do It,” a brutal, swear-filled critique aimed at a betrayer. The album was nominated for a Grammy in the female rock vocal performance category, marking Faithfull’s only such nomination.

In the 1991 film “Thelma and Louise,” a poignant scene during a midnight desert drive features the song “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan” from the album “Broken English.” The character Louise, portrayed by Susan Sarandon, plays this Shel Silverstein-composed tune on the car stereo. Marianne Faithfull sings about a woman who, at 37 years old, comes to terms with the fact that she’ll never enjoy a leisurely drive through Paris in a sports car with wind in her hair. This realization sparks her decision to alter her life’s trajectory.

Despite not achieving commercial acclaim in the U.S., Faithfull was consistently praised by critics throughout her career. Her 1987 album, “Strange Weather,” featured her renditions of Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Keep It With Mine,” Leadbelly’s “I Ain’t Goin’ Down to the Well No More” and Dr. John’s “Hello Stranger.

1994 saw the publication of “Faithfull: An Autobiography,” the first in a series of memoirs penned by this artist. It humorously and boldly chronicles her romantic encounters and adventures, making it a must-read for music enthusiasts. Over the last quarter of her life, she released studio albums at a steady pace, approximately one every few years, each featuring new songs and a voice slightly worn.

In 2008, Faithfull’s album “Easy Come, Easy Go” featured songs originally by Judee Sill, Randy Newman, Brian Eno, and Merle Haggard. Her rendition of Morrissey’s “Dear God, Please Help Me” reaches its peak with Faithfull powerfully singing at the top of her lungs, “There are explosive kegs / Between my legs / Dear God, please help me.” (Note: The phrase “explosive kegs” is a metaphor for emotional turmoil or tension.)

Apart from her accomplished musical career, she also had a flourishing acting stint. She showcased her talents in plays like Chekhov at the Royal Court Theatre, Shakespeare at the Roundhouse, and both Brecht and Weill at the Gate Theatre in Dublin.

Music

1990s friends, two prominent figures in rock music convene for a discussion about Marianne Faithfull’s latest album, “She Walks in Beauty,” as well as their brushes with death in the year 2020.

Notably, Faithfull gained significant recognition for her roles. One of these was in “The Girl on a Motorcycle” – a provocative, psychedelic love tale from 1968, which earned an X rating from the American Motion Picture Association. She also made an appearance as a mystical figure in the infamous cult film “Lucifer Rising,” produced by Kenneth Anger, a renowned experimental director based in Los Angeles. In 2001, Faithfull took on the role of God in a sequence of captivating dreams for the British comedy “Absolutely Fabulous.” Interestingly, her long-time friend, Anita Pallenberg, portrayed the devil in this production.

As a devoted film enthusiast, I can’t help but share an intriguing fact about the illustrious French actress, Emmanuelle Béart. In 2007, she was recognized with a Best Actress nomination at the European Film Awards for her captivating portrayal of Irina Palm – a grandmother who resorted to anonymous services to fund her grandson’s cancer treatment in the critically acclaimed film by the same name.

Fast forward to 2011, Béart was bestowed with one of France’s most prestigious cultural honors, the Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. This award is a testament to her significant contributions to the world of arts and literature in France.

In 2018, her album titled “Negative Capability” was characteristically daring. Sharing a studio and living quarters with a long-time collaborator of Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, the album features songs co-written with artists such as Cave, Ellis, British songwriter Ed Harcourt, and producer Rob Ellis. She stated to The Guardian that it was “the most truthful record I’ve ever made; there are no secretive areas.

She remarked, “It’s simply delightful spending time with such remarkable gentlemen.” Indeed, such encounters were frequent for her, regardless of whether they were planned or not.

She shared that her primary focus had always been her job, but unexpectedly, men entered the picture, and while this wasn’t her preference, she felt she couldn’t avoid their attention due to her attractiveness.

In the year 2021, she shared “She Walks in Beauty,” a chilling spoken-word rendition of Lord Byron and other British Romantic poets, with background music subtly supplied by Ellis, Eno, Cave, and Vincent Segal. This was her 21st and concluding album.

Towards the end of her life, Faithfull – who had been married three times – encountered numerous difficulties. In 2013, she suffered a fall that resulted in a broken back, and a year after that, she broke her hip. During the initial stages of the pandemic in 2020, she was hospitalized for about three weeks when she contracted COVID-19.

Faithfull’s surviving family members include his son, finance author Nicholas Dunbar, and his half-brother, artist Simon Faithfull.

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2025-01-30 22:33

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