Marianne Faithfull, died at age 78.
Faithfull is arguably one of the most iconic women in rock history. A blue print of what a true influential woman of the genre is, Marianne was a driving female force in the male dominated British Invasion.
"It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull," a statement said. "Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed."
London Born, Faithfull's began singing in 1964, playing folk gigs in coffee houses during the rise of the British rock scene. There, she met Rolling Stones manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, who gave her a shot, and Faithfull covered Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' "As Tears Go By". The song hit No. 9 on the U.K. singles chart, popularizing it before The Stones would release their own version in 1965.
Faithfull released three albums in 1965, including her self-titled debut, and the folk album, "Come My Way." Two more albums came in 66, after she married British artist John Dunbar. After, giving birth to their son, the couple would split and Faithfull would move in with Mick Jagger.
Faithfull's fame would run her into a drug habit, which began to decimate her career,
"It destroyed me," she said in her autobiography. "To be a male drug addict and to act like that is always enhancing and glamorizing. A woman in that situation becomes a slut and a bad mother."
Faithfull's relationship with Jagger influenced much of the Stones' early work, as she became a muse for Jagger, with "Sympathy for the Devil," being inspired by a book Faithfull gave Jagger. "Wild Horses," "I Got The Blues" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want," were all inspired by his relationship with Faithfull, as she co-wrote "Sister Morphine," on 1971's Sticky Fingers.
Her drug use lead to a long absence in music, till her comeback in 1979, with the release of her critically acclaimed "Broken English." The album was a massive success for her, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, as it is regarded as her "definitive recording". She continued recording through the 80's and wrote three books about her life: Faithfull: An Autobiography, Memories, Dreams & Reflections and Marianne Faithfull: A Life on Record.
At a time when the world of rock was being defined, Marianne Faithfull was one of its first darlings, who's influence is still felt even to this day.
R.I.P. Marianne.