Those who first glimpsed Marianne Faithfull in the 1960s as Mick Jagger’s angelic girlfriend, or the winsome singer of As Tears Go By, probably did not imagine she would go on to forge a career of more than 50 years as a songwriter and recording artist in her own right. Faithfull, who has died aged 78, released 22 solo albums and collaborated with many big names in music. She also had some success as an actor. All of it was achieved against a backdrop of addiction and personal struggles that she did not hide.
When the 17-year-old Faithfull was spotted by the Rolling Stones’ manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, at a Stones launch party in 1964, she had already been taking tentative steps as a folk singer. Oldham’s antennae sensed the potential.
