Gerry Marsden, the English singer who popularized “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, which became the iconic anthem of the Liverpool football club, died this Sunday at the age of 78, the British press announced.
“We receive the news of Gerry Marsden’s death with great sadness,” Liverpool FC wrote on their Twitter account. “Gerry’s words will remain forever etched in our memory,” he added.
Liverpool-born Gerry Marsden was the leader of the group Gerry And The Pacemakers in the 1960s and made popular a cover of the song “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, initially written by American songwriters Rogers and Hammerstein for the musical comedy. “Carousel” in 1945.
The version of Gerry And The Pacemakers was adopted by Liverpool fans from 1963 and later became one of the most famous anthems in football. Other clubs such as Celtic Glasgow, Feyenoord or Borussia Dortmund also opted for him.
Gerry Marsden re-recorded the song in April 2020 as a tribute to the British National Health Service during the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Paul McCartney, mythical ex-member of The Beatles, who coincided with Marsden and his group in the 1960s in Liverpool, paid tribute to him on his Twitter account: “Gerry was a companion of our beginnings in Liverpool. He and his group were our elders rivals on the local scene. “
“His unforgettable performances of You’ll Never Walk Alone and Ferry Cross The Mersey remain in the hearts of many people as memories of a glorious era in British music,” he noted.
smg / jde / bpa / dr
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