Why Marianne Faithfull Matters

A remarkable feminist history and biography that features fragments from the five-decade career of an iconic artist.

'Through this deeply personal take, the real significance of Faithfull as an irrepressible female icon shines through.' SHINDIG

'Excellent . . . Pearson deserves the widest possible audience.' POPMATTERS

'Witty, passionate, and provactive. Finally, a feminist appreciation for Marianne Faithfull.' VIVIEN GOLDMAN, author of "Revenge of the She-Punks: A Feminist Music History from Poly Styrene to Pussy Riot'

First as a doe-eyed ingénue with 'As Tears Go By', then as a gravel-voiced phoenix rising from the ashes of the 1960s with a landmark punk album, Broken English, and finally as a genre-less icon, Marianne Faithfull carved her name into the history of rock 'n' roll to chart a career spanning five decades and multiple detours.

Why, then, was Faithfull absent from the male-dominated history of the British Invasion?

Putting memoir on equal footing with biographical accounts, historian Tanya Pearson writes about Faithfull as an avid fan, recovered addict and queer musician at a crossroads.

Whether exploring Faithfull's rise to celebrity, her drug addiction and fall from grace as a spurned 'muse' or her reinvention as a sober, soulful chanteuse subverting all expectations for an ageing woman in music, Pearson reaffirms the deep connection between creator and listener in this remarkable feminist history of the iconic artist.

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Music Matters series:-
Why the Ramones Matter by Donna Gaines [2018]
Why the Beach Boys Matter by Tom Smucker [2018]
Why Karen Carpenter Matters by Karen Tongson [2019]
Why Lhasa de Sela Matters by Fred Goldman [2019]
Why Marianne Faithfull Matters by Tanya Pearson [2021]
Why Solange Matters by Stephanie Phillips
Why Bushwick Bill Matters by Charles L. Hughes [2021]
Why Labelle Matters by Adele Bertei [2021]
Why Sinéad O'Connor Matters by Allyson McCabe [2023]