Marianne Faithfull Dies at 78 – Reflecting on Her Legacy of Love, Loss, and Music
Marianne Faithfull Passes Away at 78 – A Look at Her Journey Through Love, Loss, & Music
The famous Englishwoman was appreciative of her older years. Throughout her life, she had experienced grief, severe loss, addiction, and health issues.
At the age of 78, Marianne Faithfull recently passed away. She led a full life and was happy in a family she never would have imagined having. Here is a glimpse of her path.
The Rolling Stones’ manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, found Faithfull at a party in London in 1964, marking the beginning of her career. She started a music career that lasted more than 50 years when she debuted her hit track, “As Tears Go By,” at the age of 16.
The singer attempted acting in addition to her musical career, making appearances in “Girl on a Motorcycle” (1968) and on stage in “Three Sisters” (1967) and “Hamlet” (1969).
But by the end of the decade, her career was hampered by personal issues and a growing fight with drug addiction, which resulted in years of suffering. Faithfull battled anorexia in addition to her addiction, which persisted into the early 1970s. She attempted suicide by overdosing on drugs.
She eventually became homeless, which made her addiction worse. In one interview, Faithfull acknowledged, “I got as stoned as I could and lived on the streets, which made me sort of unattractive, as my answer to everything.” “Yeah!” she said when asked if it was liberating to make oneself unattractive.
When the singer received a breast cancer diagnosis in 2006, her health problems persisted for decades. At the time, Rob Partridge, her spokesman, said, “Doctors in France have rapidly found the sickness. The chances of regaining full health are very good.
Faithfull maintained her optimism in the face of the news, saying, “I have absolute faith and confidence in my fantastic medical team and of course I will be well again, if not better than ever.”
The news had been tough, Partridge said, but she was in a “big fighting mood and determined to beat the cancer.” When Faithfull was diagnosed, she had a successful surgery.
She revealed the following year that she had been coping with hepatitis C, a liver disease that she had been diagnosed with twelve years prior. When Faithfull got COVID-19 in 2020, she had to deal with yet another health issue. As she battled the infection, she spent 22 days in the hospital.
Long after she was admitted to the hospital, the virus’s effects persisted and had a profoundly unpleasant influence on her memories. She stated, “It’s wild, the things I forget,” in an interview conducted in 2021. “In the short term. I had vivid memories of the distant past. I can’t recall anything recent. And it’s horrifying. Horrible. You have no idea how terrible it is.
The singer of “Intrigue” did not recall getting sick or being admitted to critical care. “All I know is that I was in a very dark place—presumably, it was death,” replied Faithfull.
Faithfull experienced personal heartbreak after overcoming health issues. Nicholas Dunbar, their son, was born in 1965, the same year she married British artist John Dunbar. They divorced in 1966 after a short marriage.
Shortly after, she left Dunbar for the rock star and started seeing fellow English musician Mick Jagger. She fell pregnant while they were dating, but she lost the baby seven months into the pregnancy.
In an interview, she said, “Yes, of course,” when questioned about the long-term effects, but she made it apparent that she had moved on. “But please, I’ve been trying to distance myself from the Rolling Stones for years. I won’t talk about then [sic], and I never talk about Mick again,” she continued.
After Jagger, Faithfull kept looking for enduring love. In 1979, she wed Ben Brierley of The Vibrators, a relationship that lasted for six years. She married writer Giorgio Della Terza in 1988, but they divorced after three years.
Before splitting up in 2009, she later had a long-term relationship with French record producer François Ravard that lasted for 15 years. Despite their breakup, Ravard continued to oversee her career, and they stayed close.
However, Faithfull’s genuine dedication was always to her profession, regardless of the relationships in her life. “I always considered my work to be my top priority. But then, naturally, the males arrived. I was too attractive to be abandoned, even though it wasn’t exactly what I wanted,” she added.
Her devotion, however, extended beyond her professional life. She continued to be very interested in music and the outside world. Faithfull moved to Paris after decades of restarting her artistic career, and on the day of the 2015 Bataclan terror massacre, which left 90 people dead, she wrote “They Come at Night” in response.
Family had a significant role in her later years in addition to music. She had a sketch in her living room of a little girl who looked very much like her—her granddaughter, Eliza Dunbar.
Born to Faithfull’s son, a financial analyst with whom she had reestablished contact over the years, she was her third grandchild. Oscar and Noah Dunbar, the star’s two grandsons, were the only ones to continue her career by playing in the rock group Khartoum.
Embracing the family she never imagined having, Faithfull found solace in her later years. “We experienced a lot. However, we made it through, and I’m proud of that. Due to the fact that I adore having a family,” she stated.
Longtime friends provided support and creative collaboration, and music continued to be a source of strength. She made it plain that, despite her loneliness, she did not look for sympathy. “In no way, [expletive]. “I am so thankful that I lived long enough to reach this point,” she added.
According to her spokeswoman, Faithfull’s journey came to a conclusion on January 30, 2025, after she thanked God for allowing her to live long enough to achieve peace.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull,” said the statement. Faithfull died quietly in London, surrounded by her devoted family, who said they would miss her terribly.
Admirers and those who knew her well began to pay their respects. On X, her ex-boyfriend Mick Jagger posted old photos and the words, “I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull.” He recalled her as a gifted singer, actor, and close friend, and he said she had a big role in his life.
On the platform, fans also sent poignant messages in mourning for her demise. “We shall miss her. A lovely woman and incredibly accomplished,” one said, while another added, “RIP.” Another member of a unique generation passed away. Regarding her legacy, another person said, “She was such a big part of the 60s rip [sic].”
Faithfull left behind a corpus of work that spans generations, a life filled with artistic endeavors, hardship, and reinvention. Despite all of the hardships she faced, she found happiness in music, family, and the important things in life.
