Marianne Faithfull - Born 1946
British Singer, Songwriter and Actress
Added to the album by Vicky, A Wonderful Woman
In my native Britain, certain footage of London in the 1960s gets shown on television again and again. There are certain people that always appear, so much so that they seem to stop being people and are just a part of those images, part of that piece of cultural history and Marianne Faithfull has always been that for me... just a part of the swinging '60s, not a person at all. Until now of course, following Vicky's suggestion and reading about the life of this woman, forming an understanding of how she is wonderful, interesting and human.
Marianne began her singing career in 1964 and soon became a regular face on the London social scene. She met various celebrities and sexual relationships with a number, before becoming the girlfriend of Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones. In the 60's she released a number of singles and also co-wrote some tracks with Mick and the band.
Her music career has spanned six decades. In total she has released twenty albums and a number of additional compilations. She is noted for her raspy voice and melancholic lyrics. She has recorded with a plethora of major artists from everywhere in the musical spectrum, including; Metallica, Blur and PJ Harvey (Another Wonderful Woman). Additionally to her own music career, she has also been the inspiration for a number of songs, not just by The Rolling Stones but also by The Beatles and
Faithfull's gritty alto is a cracked and halting rasp, the voice of a woman who's been to hell and back on the excursion fare which, of course, she has.
Dr. John. Nash, Pianist and Reviewer
As well as a career in music, Marianne has had a long and successful acting career. Appearing in theatre productions such as The Threepenny Opera, Three Sisters and The Rocky Horror Show. She has acted in films such as I'll Never Forget What's 'is Name (with Orson Wells) and Irina Palm, for which she received a Best Actress nomination for the 2007 European Film Awards. Marianne has appeared on television in Britain, France and the USA many times, including twice playing god in Jennifer Saunder's (Wonderful Woman No. 92) Absolutely Fabulous.
Though these career achievements are really very wonderful, Marianne's life has been overshadowed by turbulence and crisis. Marianne is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, she spent much of the 1970s homeless, had her first child taken into care, miscarried another and suffered from anorexia. She has had periods of acute depression, attempting suicide at one point. She is diagnosed as having Hepatitis C and throughout her life has had a number of health problems, including breast cancer (for which she received treatment in the '00s).
Next time I am in the UK and they show the black and white footage of London's swinging '60s on TV, I'll remember to think about the human and not just see the iconography. To think about how a woman went into the very deepest part of despair and came back wonderful.
The establishment didn't manage to destroy me.
Marianne Faithfull
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