Sir Mick Jagger has expressed his sorrow over the passing of his former girlfriend, Marianne Faithfull, who died at 78.The Rolling Stones frontman and the late singer were once the golden couple of the British music scene in the 1960s,

Marianne Faithfull, who died today at 78, was crucial to the story of the Rolling Stones. Discovered by producer Andrew Loog Oldham at a party for the band, she later dated Mick Jagger from 1966 to 1970 and inspired him to write songs including “Wild Horses” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.

Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger has paid tribute to “wonderful friend and beautiful singer” Marianne Faithfull following her death aged 78. He was joined by bandmates Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards, the latter with whom Sir Mick wrote Faithfull’s first single As Tears Go By, which reached number nine in the UK singles chart.

The singer and actress, who embodied the Swinging Sixties and performed for decades afterward, exuded an effortless cool.

"I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull," Jagger wrote on Instagram, alongside several photos of the singer over the years, some of which also featured the rocker himself. "She was so much part of my life for so long.