Behind the Music

Episode 68: Marianne Faithfull

May 23, 1999 • 60 min

Behind The Music takes a look at the tumultuous life of one of the most famous and infamous rock icons of the Sixties. With a countess for a mother and a spy for a father, Marianne Faithfull's story unfolds like a rock 'n' roll fairy tale. She discusses her days as the swinging gal who at 17 recorded the hit "As Tears Go By," becoming a young mother at 18 and her introduction to drugs. She also candidly talks about how she left her husband John Dunbar for Mick Jagger; how the English press smeared her name after a drug bust at Keith Richards' home, and how subsequent drug use resulted in her leaving Jagger and losing custody of her son, Nicholas. Faithful also discusses her film career, her embarrassing, cocaine fueled Saturday Night Live performance, her near-fatal drug overdose and her time in rehab.