Weekend Self-Care: Honoring Marianne Faithfull
For this weekend's self-care, we pay tribute to a legend from Across The Pond who sadly left this realm this past Thursday.
Marianne Faithfull was an all-time great. Recognized as one of rock and roll's 25 greatest female vocalists, she also had a stellar acting career on both the stage and silver screen. She was initially discovered by the Rolling Stones and released her first solo hit "As Tears Go By" in 1964. From 1966 to 1970, she was romantically involved with Mick Jagger and inspired some of the Stones' biggest hits such as "Sympathy for the Devil", "You Can't Always Get What You Want", "Wild Horses", and "I Got The Blues" along with being a credited writer for the song "Sister Morphine." After an initial rush of success, Faithfull began to struggle with drug addiction and actually lived on the streets for a period of two years before friends were finally able to intervene and get her into treatment. She returned to the music scene in 1979 with her most critically acclaimed album Broken English, which helped revitalize her career. She would go on to record a total of 18 albums throughout her illustrious career.
In addition to music, she performed in over a dozen theatrical roles in the UK and Ireland, including playing Ophelia in Shakepeare's Hamlet at The Roundhouse in London in 1969. She had nearly 30 TV and film appearances with the highlight being her portrayal of Maggie, a 60-year-old widow who becomes a sex worker to pay for her grandson's treatment in the film Irina Palm, which netted her a nomination for the European Film Award for Best Actress in 2007. Her last major film role was as the voice of one of the Bene Gesserit ancestors in the hit 2021 Dune adaptation directed by Denis Villeneuve. On March 5, 2009, Faithfull received the World Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2009 Women's World Awards and in 2011 she received the Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, one of France's highest cultural honors. With her first musical hit in 1964 and her final film contribution in 2023, she had a remarkable six-decade career that showcased her incredible talent and made her unlike anyone else from her era. She was undoubtedly and uniquely, one of a kind.
To honor Marianne's life, we'll look at some of her music below. As always, take care of yourselves and those you love this weekend.