Stunning Portraits of Marianne Faithfull Taken by David Redfern in 1975

Marianne Faithfull, a British singer-songwriter and 1960s pop star who reinvented herself as a new-wave artist and smoky-voiced chanteuse, channeling her struggles with drug abuse and personal loss into songs of torment, anger, sorrow and resilience, died Jan. 30 in London. She was 78.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull. Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed,” the statement said.

Faithfull was known for her 1960’s hits including “As Tears Go By” which was written by The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, whom she also famously dated. She was discovered at a party in London by The Rolling Stones’ manager Andrew Loog Oldham in 1964 and was just 16 years old when “As Tears Go By” was released.

“I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull,” said Mick jagger. “She was so much part of my life for so long. She was a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress. She will always be remembered.”

Marianne Faithfull has been making music for over 50 years, and was also an actress in the film Girl on a Motorcycle which came out in 1968 as well as Hamlet in 1969 and others. But at the end of the 1960s she had fallen into a deep battle with drug addiction which would endure for years before mounting a series of creative comebacks in the following decades.

Faithfull ended her relationship with Jagger in May 1970 after she started an affair with Anglo-Irish nobleman “Paddy” Rossmore. She also lost custody of her son in that same year, which led to her attempting suicide. Faithfull’s personal life went into decline, and her career went into a tailspin. She made only a few appearances, including an October 1973 performance with David Bowie, singing Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe.”

She cemented her comeback with one of her most acclaimed albums, 1979’s Grammy-nominated Broken English, embracing synthpop and postpunk with an affectingly raw, deepened voice. She quit drugs for good in 1985, and regularly released music throughout the rest of her career. Her collaborators over the years included Nick Cave, Damon Albarn, Emmylou Harris, Beck and Metallica. She released 21 studio albums.