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Gerry Marsden, the lead singer of the 1960s British band Gerry and the Pacemakers, has passed away. He was 78 years old.
The group were known for their hit songs such as ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey’ and the Liverpool Football Club anthem, ‘You will never walk alone’.
His family said Marsden passed away on Sunday “after a short illness in no way related to COVID-19” and that his wife, daughters and grandchildren are “devastated”.
His friend Pete Price said on Instagram after talking to Marsden’s family that the singer died from a short illness linked to a heart infection.
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“I send all the love in the world to (his wife) Pauline and her family,” he said. “You will never walk alone.”
Marsden was the lead singer of the group that rose to prominence in the Merseybeat scene in the 1960s. Although another group from Liverpool – the Beatles – have achieved superstar, Gerry and the Pacemakers will always have a place in their consciousness. of the city thanks to “You will never walk alone”.
“I thought it was a great song. I’m going to tell my band we’re going to play this song,” Marsden told The Associated Press in 2018, recalling the first time he heard the song in theaters. . “So I went back and told my buddies that we were doing a ballad called ‘You will never walk alone.'”
Marsden is best known for his band’s interpretation of the song “Carousel,” which was a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical in 1945 that became a feature film in 1956. The cover version of The Pacemakers was released in October 1963 and became the group’s third number one. hit on the UK singles chart.
Gerry Marsden, the British singer and singer of Gerry and the Pacemakers, who helped transform a song from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical “Carousel” into one of the great anthems of the football world, has passed away. He was 78 years old.
(Matthew Fearn / PA via AP, file)
It was adopted by fans of Liverpool football club and is sung with a back-stinging passion before every home game of the 19-time England champion – before coronavirus restrictions meant many games are being played in empty stadiums.
“I was saddened by the death of Gerry Marsden. His voice will always lead the way at Anfield, in times of celebration or lament,” said singer Elvis Costello, referring to the Liverpool stadium.
The song’s lyrics, showcasing unity and perseverance in the face of adversity – including “When you weather a storm, keep your head up high and don’t be afraid of the dark” – were a cry. rallying point for the Liverpool faithful, and the title song is on the Liverpool club crest.
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The song was also adopted by supporters of Celtic in Scotland and Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
Liverpool tweeted alongside a full-blown fan video that Marsden’s voice “accompanied our Greatest Nights” and that his “anthem has linked players, staff and fans around the world, helping to create something truly special.”
Gerry Marsden jumps on his group, the Pacemakers.
(PA via AP, file)
The song was adopted at the start of the coronavirus pandemic last spring when a cover of the song, which starred World War II veteran Tom Moore, reached number one. Moore had captivated British audiences as he walked 100 tours of his garden in England as his 100th birthday approached in April to raise some 33 million pounds ($ 40 million) for the National Health Service.
The Cavern Club of Liverpool, the concert hall which hosted many of the Beatles’ early concerts, described Marsden as a “legend” and a “very good friend”.
In 1962, Beatles manager Brian Epstein signed the band, and his first three outings reached No. 1 in 1963 – “How Do You Do It?” and “I like” as well as “You will never walk alone.” Later hits include “Ferry Cross the Mersey” and “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying”. The group broke up in 1967 and Marsden pursued a solo career before reforming the group a few years later.
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Paul McCartney of the Beatles has said that Marsden was “a companion on our early days in Liverpool” and his band were “our biggest rivals” on the local scene.
“His unforgettable performances of ‘You will never walk alone’ and ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey’ remain in the hearts of many as reminders of a joyous period in British music,” he said.
Marsden is survived by his wife, Pauline, whom he married in 1965. The couple had two daughters.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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