Alex Carson
Marianne Faithfull is a British singer and actress that has been through a whole lot in her life! The star arguably remains best known for her love affair with rock legend Mick Jagger. Though she has had quite a bit of success in the entertainment industry herself over the course of her decades-spanning career. Despite her success, the star has also had her share of hard times, including bouts with failing health, substance abuse, and depression. After recently recovering from COVID-19, Marianne is now preparing to release her latest album! Join Facts Verse as we take a look at the unimaginable tragedies of Marianne Faithfull.
Marianne Faithfull was born in London on December 29, 1946. Her mother was a baroness and her father was a spy that was working for the government during World War II. Marianne certainly had some immense shoes to fill. She ended up becoming a notable figure in her own right thanks to her career in the entertainment industry. Throughout her career, Marianne has become acclaimed as both a singer and an actress. It seems as if singing has been the profession she has dedicated more of her time to.
Marianne got her start in music when she was only 17 years old. 1964 saw the release of her first song, which was titled “As Tears Go By”. The star had spent her teenage years singing in various venues around London. She became friendly with the members of the Rolling Stones during this period. Interacting with the Rolling Stones paved the way for Marianne to make some connections in the industry.
After the release of her first song in 1964, Marianne’s first album was released in 1965. That debut album was titled Come My Way, and it proved a commercial success! Not only has a successful musical career followed, but Marianne also made a successful transition into film shortly afterward.
Marianne’s Acting Journey
Marianne’s acting career started out on the stages of London around the same time that she was becoming a popular singer. In 1967, she would make her film debut, appearing in the film I’ll Never Forget What’s’isname. Marianne made history in the film, as her character became the first in film history to utter the F-word. While this performance was certainly historic. Marianne’s true big break on the screen was arguably 1968’s The Girl on a Motorcycle.
After these initial appearances in film, Marianne made some minor appearances throughout the 1970s before taking a break from acting. In 1992, Marianne made a ceremonious return to the screen when she began appearing on the 1992 British comedy series Absolutely Fantastic. In more recent years, Marianne could be seen playing Empress Maria Theresa in Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette. Despite these sporadic acting appearances, Marianne has certainly dedicated the majority of her time to her singing.
Although Marianne has found plenty of success in her professional career. She has had a much harder time in her personal life. Still, the star is alive and well at the age of 75. Not only does Marianne have a new album on the way, but she also recently successfully battled COVID-19.
Marianne Faithfull’s Marriage Life
Marianne has been married three times throughout her life. Her most notable romantic relationship was an affair that she had with Mick Jagger; the lead signer of the Rolling Stones. Marianne’s first husband was John Dunbar, whom she married in 1965. Soon after the ceremony, Marianne gave birth to first child Nicholas the same year.
Despite having a son with John Dunbar, Marianne decided to leave him so that she could pursue a romantic relationship with Mick Jagger. Marianne and John officially divorced in 1966, after only a year of being together. Marianne then went and spent most of her time with the Rolling Stones. In 1967, Marianne was infamously caught wearing nothing but a fur rug when the authorities raided guitarist Keith Richards’ house looking for illegal substances. As one can imagine, incidents like this made Marianne and Mick Jagger’s relationship very popular with the tabloids of the time.
As a result of Marianne’s tabloid exploits with Mick Jagger and the rest of the Rolling Stones; she ended up losing custody of her son. Marianne and Mick’s relationship ended in 1970, and Marianne lost custody of her son soon afterwards. That year also saw the singer attempt suicide, though the attempt would prove unsuccessful. Over the course of the 1970s, it became apparent that Marianne was going to have to face her demons or suffer some dire consequences! If you’re enjoying this video so far, be sure to hit the like button to show your support!
Marianne’s Suicide Attempt
After Marianne Faithfull’s suicide attempt in 1970, her personal state continued to decline throughout the 1970s. She had developed an addiction to heroin, and had also developed an eating disorder as a result of her poor self-image. As a result of her life choices, Marianne ended up living on the street for a period of a couple of years. Still, the singer’s friends urged her to get help, even signing her up for a treatment program. Though Marianne attempted the program, she couldn’t get her demons under control.
As Marianne continued to fight the demons of substance abuse, she also continued releasing critically acclaimed music. 1975 saw the release of the album Dreamin’ My Dreams, which became a major success in Ireland. The success of the album proved to Marianne that recording music was still a worthwhile pursuit; and it led to the creation of 1979’s Broken English. Broken English proved a major comeback album for the singer. And it still standing as one of the most critically acclaimed releases of her career.
While critics and fans praised Broken English; they also acknowledged that Marianne’s voice seemed incredibly different after years of hard living. Though the singer had come to prominence with a fairly pretty voice. She had a much raspier voice by the end of the 1970s. Still, Marianne could emote as good as ever, and has managed to reinvent herself as a blues singer with her new deeper register.
Sadly, the success of Broken English wasn’t enough to inspire Marianne Faithful to give up her addiction to heroin. Her addiction continued to worsen into the 1980s. The singer made a memorably horrible appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1980, and ended up checking into rehab in 1985.
Marianne’s Rehab Treatment
Following Marianne’s 1985 entrance into rehab, she went on to receive treatment at McLean Hospital, located in Belmont, Massachusetts. While at the hospital, she started a love affair with a fellow patient by the name of Howard Tose. Like Marianne, Howard was mentally ill and dependent on drugs. Howard ended up committing suicide by jumping out of one of the facility’s windows. After her successful treatment, Marianne would dedicate her next album to him.
Marianne’s next album was called Strange Weather, and it featured a dedication to the recently deceased Howard Tose. Unlike Howard, Marianne successfully made it through the treatment and has seen some of her brightest days in the years since her release from the Massachusetts facility. Strange Weather showcased Marianne’s full transition to blues singer after flirting with the genre previously.
While Marianne was able to leave behind the demons of substance abuse in the 1980s. She has been plagued by other health troubles in the decades since. In the year 2000, Marianne made headlines when she fell down the stairs of her own home while Daniel Day-Lewis was over for dinner.
Years after the Daniel Day-Lewis dinner incident, Marianne collapsed while attending the Cannes Film Festival in 2006. The collapse apparently came as a result of a kidney infection, and Marianne was comatose for three days. According to Marianne, the coma was worth it for her because it helped her lose some of her extra weight.
Marianne’s Surgery for Breast Cancer
2006 also saw Marianne undergo surgery for breast cancer. Besides the previously referenced health ailments, Marianne has also suffered clinical depression, hepatitis C, and liver disease. Besides her marriage to John Dunbar, Marianne has also had two other short-lived marriages. Her second marriage was to a man by the name of Ben Brierly. Lasting from 1979 to 1986, Marianne’s marriage to Ben has been the most successful of her life so far. Marianne’s third husband was Giorgio Della Terza, and they were married from 1988 to 1991. Although Marianne’s has only had one child, she has had two abortions and three miscarriages.
Marianne hasn’t remarried since divorcing from third husband Giorgio in 1991. She is currently romantically involved with manager François Ravard. Recently, Marianne successfully battled COVID-19. After all that Marianne has been through throughout her lifetime. She knew that she wasn’t going to let the novel coronavirus take her. She spent a few weeks in a London hospital and apparently felt symptoms for nearly a year after the diagnosis. However, Marianne now seems to have made a full recovery and is prepping the release of her latest album as a singer.
Marianne Faithfull has been at it for over seven decades. Though she remains best known to the mainstream public for her highly publicized love affair with Mick Jagger during the 1960s. She retains a cult following thanks to both her film appearances and her music career. After all that the singer has dealt with in her life, she is incredibly grateful for all of the success that she has as a recording artist today!
Although Marianne Faithfull has certainly had some significant bumps in the road throughout her 75 years on this planet, she remains successful with her musical career. Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that Marianne Faithful’s life has been filled with unimaginable tragedies, or did you think her story started and ended with her highly publicized romance with Mick Jagger?
