Marianne Faithfull was “too scared” to go and see the Rolling Stones’ anniversary shows.
The musician dated the band’s frontman Sir Mick Jagger between 1966 and 1970. She planned to go and see Mick and his bandmates Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts celebrate their 50th year in the business recently, but pulled out at the last minute.
“I was meant to go but I cancelled. I was on my own in London and I was scared to go to the O2 on my own. I’d hate being recognised. I can’t even say my name in public,” she told Q magazine. “I’ve gone to fashion shows in New York and because I couldn’t bring myself to say, ‘My name is Marianne Faithfull and I have an invitation.’ I’ve actually turned around at the door and left. To hear those words coming out of my mouth would be so vulgar.”
Keith and Mick have a famously fiery relationship and fell out when Keith mocked Mick’s manhood in his 2010 memoir Life.
Marianne is unsure why the guitarist made the remarks, although she believes money might have been the motive.
“I actually think it was the publisher who wanted that in,” she claimed. “Because it was the same publisher who printed my book [Faithfull, 1994], Michael Pietsch. He got in touch and said if I would say something about that, he would give me a lot more money. £80,000 more. I said no. The money for Keith must’ve been a lot more, and Keith would think it was a laugh. But [Keith] is a very envious man, deeply envious, wanting to put Mick Jagger down. It was a great mistake, I think.”
