Marianne Faithfull dies, the iconic rock voice that survived addiction and oblivion

The British singer and actress Marianne Faithfull He has died this Thursday at age 78, as confirmed by his spokesman in a statement. With his death, one of the most emblematic rock voices is turned off, whose legacy covers more than six decades of music, cinema and personal reinvention.

Born in 1946 in an aristocratic family, Faithfull’s life had all the ingredients of a film drama. His career took off in the 60s with As Tears Go Bya topic composed of Mick Jagger y Keith Richards that catapulted her to stardom during the British invasion in the United States. Her sentimental relationship with Jagger, between 1966 and 1970, made her an icon of the counterculture, but after her break her life gave a dark turn. Her heroin addiction brought her to destitution and moved her away from music and cinema.

Faithfull, however, managed to resurface with Broken English (1979), an album that marked a radical change in its sound and in its voice, now more rough and deep, a reflection of their experiences. Although he never recovered the massive success of his beginnings, he became a cult artist and continued recording records such as Dangerous Acquaintances (1981), Strange Weather (1987) o Before the Poison (2004), collaborating with musicians such as Nick Cave y Metallica.

His film career also had ups and downs. In the 60s he participated in films such as The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968) y Hamlet (1969), but his greatest recognition came in 2006, when he played María Teresa from Austria in María Antonieta, from Sofia Coppola, and starred Irina Palm, a role for which she received praise from critics.

Faithfull survived heroin, two commas, breast cancer and COVID-19, but never stopped making music or challenging expectations. “Maybe I didn’t have all the jobs I wanted, but I have lived intensely,” he said in his memoirs. With his death, the world loses a unique artist, whose torn voice and rebel spirit will continue to resonate in future generations.