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Gerry Marsden, the leader of the 1960s group Gerry and the Pacemakers, has died at age 78, the singer’s friend Pete Price announced Sunday.
Liverpool-born Marsden, who died after a brief illness, had a hit in the 1960s with his version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein song. You will never Walk alone, which originally appeared in his musical Carousel.
Liverpool FC fans embraced Gerry and the Pacemakers’ version of the song, which became one of the most famous football anthems in the world. Liverpool supporters still sing it regularly before and during matches.
Marsden re-recorded the song in April 2020 in tribute to Britain’s National Health Service during the coronavirus pandemic. He also wrote the 1960s hit Ferry crossing the Mersey at a time when the Beatles had made Liverpool the most important city in pop music. It was the Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, who hired Gerry and the Pacemakers. As part of the “Merseybeat” groups, Gerry and the Pacemakers also broke into the US market.
Former Beatle Paul McCartney tweeted that “Gerry was a companion from our early days in Liverpool. He and his group were our biggest rivals on the local scene.
“His unforgettable performances by You will never Walk alone and Ferry crossing the Mersey they remain in the hearts of many people as reminders of a joyous moment in British music, “he added.
Liverpool football club, on its Twitter account, said: “It is with such sadness that we learn of the passing of Gerry Marsden.” Gerry’s words will live forever with us. You will never Walk alone.”
The famous song was also adopted by fans of other European soccer teams, including Celtic in Scotland, Borussia Dortmund, and Feyenoord. Marsden’s friend and broadcaster Price announced the death when he wrote on Instagram: “It is with a heavy heart after speaking with the family that I have to tell you about the legendary Gerry Marsden MBE, after a brief illness that was an infection in his heart has sadly passed away.
“I am sending all the love in the world to Pauline and her family. You will never walk alone.”
Marsden received his MBE from Buckingham Palace in 2003 for his services to charities in Liverpool and beyond. – AFP
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