Popular British singer, actress, and Rolling Stones muse dead at 78

Marianne Faithfull, Grammy-nominated singer, actress, and one of the most prominent female voices of the British Invasion, died in London on Thursday. She was 78. The cause of death was not disclosed.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter, and actress Marianne Faithfull,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Marianne passed away peacefully in London today in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed.”

The singer/actress was born in the Hampstead area of London on Dec. 29, 1946. Her early singing career reached new heights with the 1964 “As Tears Go By,” the first song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

The song became a top 10 hit in the U.K. and broke into the top 25 in the U.S. in 1964. Always looking to expand her repertoire, Faithfull starred in films such as 1967’s “Girl on a Motorcycle” and stage productions “Three Sisters” and “Hamlet.”

Faithfull dated Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger from 1966 to 1970. She also inspired many of Jagger’s classic Rolling Stones songs, including “Wild Horses” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

“I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull,” Jagger wrote on Instagram. “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.”

Unfortunately, Faithfull struggled with drug addiction that temporarily knocked her career off track. She would return with the critically acclaimed 1979 album “Broken English.” The singer/actress would release 12 more albums over 20 years and continue to act in films such as “Marie Antoinette” and “The Girl from Nagasaki.”

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