The music world is mourning Marianne Faithfull, who died this week at 78 years old.
Tributes to the iconic singer-songwriter have been pouring in ever since her spokesperson revealed in a statement Thursday (Jan. 30) that she had “passed away peacefully” earlier that day while surrounded by family in London, with Mick Jagger, Metallica and more stars all penning messages remembering her life and legacy.
The Rolling Stones frontman — who famously dated Faithfull in the ’60s — shared a couple throwback photos of himself with the “As Tears Go By” singer and wrote that he was “saddened to hear” of her death, adding, “She was so much part of my life for so long … She was a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress.”
The Stones’ Keith Richards also shared a more recent photo of himself with Faithfull and offered his “heartfelt condolences” to her family, writing, “I’m so sad and will miss her!!” Bandmate Ronnie Wood also shared photos with the singer-actress on Instagram and added, “Marianne will be dearly missed.”
The group further paid tribute to Faithfull by sharing a video of an old performance of “As Tears Go By” on the Stones’ official X account, while Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich wrote, “Thank you, Marianne… For the good times, for your kindness, for the great stories, for your fearlessness.” The metal giants teamed with Faithfull for “The Memory Remains” from their 1997 ReLoad album.
In addition to the rock bands, both of John Lennon’s sons spoke out about Faithfull’s death. “A uniquely special soul, she was one of a kind — someone who truly did stand out among her contemporaries,” wrote Julian on X, while Sean Ono Lennon shared a photo of Faithfull with the caption, “Marianne Faithfull R.I.P. ❤️ Miss you.”
The Kinks’ Dave Davies shared a link to “As Tears Go By” on X and wrote, “A bit sad all my friends are going … Bless her,” while The Charlatans’ singer Tim Burgess posted, “Farewell Marianne Faithfull … She was such a free spirit and true talent.”
David Bowie’s official account acknowledged Faithfull’s death by sharing photos of the two late legends together, writing, “GO WELL MARIANNE.” Slash simply shared a photo of the Girl on a Motorcycle star on Instagram and wrote, “RIP.”
As evidenced by the amount of legends who have spoken out about her passing, Faithfull was an essential, beloved figure of the ’60s and beyond. She notched five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 — including top 40 hits “Summer Nights” and “Come and Stay With Me” — and released two dozen albums, several of which charted on the Billboard 200. Outside of music, the British performer acted in a number of iconic films, perhaps most notably starring in Michael Winner’s 1967 dramedy I’ll Never Forget What’s’isname.
Faithfull also had a son — Nicholas Dunbar, whom she shared with ex-husband John Dunbar.
