Marianne Faithfull: Singer and film star who was more than a Rolling Stones muse

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From her early independence with As Tears Go By, to key roles in films like The Girl On A Motorcycle, and even influencing the music of the Rolling Stones, Marianne Faithfull's unconventional changing style in music and film made her a very recognisable figure of the 1960s.

and Keith Richards.

She unveiled her debut album in 1965, which featured the top 10 hits "As Tears Go By" and "Come And Stay With Me" simultaneously with her follow-up album "Come My Way", which was predominantly comprised of folk covers.

In 1966, she entered into a widely publicised relationship with Sir Mick, following his separation from model and actress Chrissie Shrimpton.

She was famously found wearing nothing but a rug during a raid at Redlands, the country home of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards in 1967.

During her time with Sir Mick, Faithfull co-wrote Sister Morphine with him and Richards, which was on the Rolling Stones' 1971 album Sticky Fingers, but she released her own version in 1969 with guitarist Ry Cooder and Jack Nitzsche playing the piano.

She was credited as a writer on her version's original Decca release, but was excluded from later editions, which led to a legal dispute that ultimately resulted in her being credited as a writer on both the Stones and her own re-releases.

It has also been said that Faithful influenced several Stones songs, such as 'Let It Bleed' cut 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' and 'Dear Doctor' from the 1968 album 'Beggars Banquet', while it has also been suggested that The Beatles' 'And Your Bird Can Sing' was inspired by her relationship with Jagger.

Faithfull also appeared in the largely unreleased concert film The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, which was filmed in 1968 and was intended to be broadcast on the BBC.

The film was not released until 1996, and features the singer performing the song 'Something Better'.

In 1968, she underwent a miscarriage of her and Sir Mick’s child, the first of three she would experience throughout her life.

After her split from Sir Mick in 1970, Faithfull spent two years on the streets of Soho while being addicted to heroin before living in a squat.

She returned to music by releasing the new wave-influenced album Broken English in 1979, which was shortlisted for a Grammy Award and is now regarded as a classic.

Faithfull re-invented herself in 1987 as a jazz and blues singer with the highly-acclaimed album Strange Weather, and offence in the same period opted for rehabilitation.

Her last album was a collaborative effort, an experimental work with Australian musician Warren Ellis, who plays with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, titled 'She Walks In Beauty' (2021).

It came about after she had enjoyed a renewed surge in popularity following reports that she was admired by the likes of Kate Moss and Courtney Love.

In addition to her musical career, Faithfull has also appeared in films such as the erotic thriller The Girl On A Motorcycle, starring alongside the French actor Alain Delon, as well as theatre productions.

One of her earliest films was 'I'll Never Forget What's 'Is Name (1967), alongside Orson Welles, and she has recently provided the voice of Bere Gesserit Ancestor in Dune (2021).

She made a guest appearance as God in the TV sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, along with actress Anita Pallenberg - who was once the girlfriend of Rolling Stones members Brian Jones and Keith Richards - playing the role of the devil.

Faithfull struggled with poor health in her later years.

In 2006, it was announced that she had made a complete recovery from breast cancer.

Medical professionals in France made a diagnosis in September, which led to the star postponing her global concert tour.

But the cancer was found in its "earliest stages" and following surgery, she declared that she would resume her tour the following year.

She was quoted as saying at the time: "It's been an incredible experience and, in many ways, extremely upbeat."

I hadn't fully appreciated the extent of my actual friendships.

I feel incredibly fortunate and cherished, and I wanted to express my gratitude to everyone for their kind thoughts.

Faithfull, a former smoker, was diagnosed with breast cancer two years after being forced to cancel her European tour due to collapsing during a live performance.

The musician was diagnosed with fatigue and instructed to take a three-month break from performing.

In 2005, filmmaker Duncan Roy said that Faithfull had left his film adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray because she had had a heart attack, which she insisted hadn't happened.

In April 2020, it was confirmed the singer had been taken into hospital following her diagnosis with Covid, and she was discharged approximately three weeks later.

Faithfull released her self-titled autobiography back in 1994, and then went on to work on two further books about her life.

In 2011, she was awarded the Commandeur of the Order of Arts and Letters, one of France's highest cultural honours.

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