Marianne Faithfull

“Between the ages of seventeen and nineteen I shed any number of old lives and grew new ones overnight without any of them seeming quite real to me; I discarded them as cavalierly as a child who moves from one game to another. Pursued in earnest, any one of these might have led to a reasonably happy life. But then again, I wasn’t interested in happiness. I was looking for the Holy Grail.”

With her beautiful voice, aristocratic heritage and wistful style, Marianne was one of the most popular female singers during the 1960s but her tumultuous personal life often overshadowed her talent. For Marianne the 1960s were times of both success and tragedy.

Marianne was born in 1946 in England, on her mother's side she was related to Austrian Royalty. Her childhood was marred by bouts of tuberculosis which also cut into her schooling. By 1964 at the age of eighteen Marianne was performing regularly in folk clubs. At a launch party for The Rolling Stones she met their manager Andrew Loog Oldham and he signed her to a recording deal. Her first major hit was with the Jagger Richards penned, 'As Tears Go By'. Her version peaked at No 9. in the UK charts. The following year Marianne married artist John Dunbar and gave birth to their son Nicholas. She also released her first two albums, Come My Way (UK only) and Marianne Faithfull. Her personal life though was proving tumultuous, as John descended further into the world of drugs, Marianne became unhappy with her life. In 1966 she left John to be with Mick Jagger the lead singer of The Rolling Stones. Between the years 1965-1967 Marianne released three more albums, Go Away from My World, North Country Maid and Love in a Mist. She remained one of the most popular female singers of the era and had great success abroad as well as in Britain. Unfortunately Marianne's association with The Rolling Stones overshadowed her talent and success as a singer. In 1967 she and the other Stones were involved in a drug bust at Keith Richards home. Marianne was found naked, wrapped in a fur rug and following the event her image was tainted by the press and she became addicted to cocaine. The following year she tragically miscarried a baby girl.
Marianne left Mick in 1970, lost custody of her son and battled addiction, anorexia and homelessness. Still she released two albums during this period including the much lauded, Broken English. Marianne successfully reinvented herself as a singer/songwriter in the 1980s and has since recorded over fifteen albums. As well as her singing career Marianne has appeared in several films, including the 1968 film, Girl on a Motorcycle, in which she starred alongside Alain Delon. Marianne continues to tour and record to this day.

Despite the 1960s liberalism and sexual revolution Marianne suffered the judgement of many for her reckless behaviour. She once lamented that the drug bust turned the boys into heroes but she was labelled a 'villain' and a 'bad mother'. It was an image she suffered with for many years, constantly having to prove herself as she was doubted by many who believed her to be nothing more than 'Mick Jagger's Girlfriend'. She was often erroneously labelled as a 'groupie' but her career has been both long and successful.

Marianne was also a fashion icon during the decade, with her mini skirts, bohemian dresses and long blonde hair. She was one of the more popular folk singers of the day and her youthful image helped audiences to accept many of the traditional folk songs she sang. She was also successful in bridging the gap between folk and pop.

Marianne was a young woman when she was thrown into the heady world of Swinging London. When the 1960s came to an end she was only 23 but had many tragic and euphoric experiences behind her. Marianne should not only be defined by her relationships with the Stones but should be celebrated for her wonderful contributions to the world of music and her strength throughout an often difficult life.

“All these half-truths strung together created a very misleading image. That press release…projected an eerie fusion of haughty aristocrat and folky bohemian child-woman. It was a tantalizing ready-made-fantasy. Unfortunately, it wasn’t me”