Gerry Marsden, lead singer of Gerry and the Pacemakers, died on Sunday, January 3, 2021 after a short illness. He was 78 years old.

Gerry and the Pacemakers rose to fame at the same time as The Beatles, both of which were based in Liverpool, England. They were known for songs like “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

After his passing, Paul McCartney, tweeted, “Gerry was a mate from our early days in Liverpool. He and his group were our biggest rivals on the local scene. His unforgettable performances of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ and ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey’ remain in many people’s hearts as reminders of a joyful time in British music…”

Marsden was born in Liverpool on September 24, 1942. His band was the second group Brian Epstein signed, after the Beatles. Their first single “How Do You Do It?” was released in 1963 and became a No. 1 hit. Some of their other well known songs included the No. 1 “I Like It,” “It’s Gonna Be Alright,” “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying,” and “Ferry Cross the Mersey.”

After the band broke up in ’66, Marsden starred in the West End musical Charlie Girl. He charted in the ‘80s when he rerecorded some of his old hits. He joined other musicians for several benefit recordings and in ’93, Marsden wrote his autobiography I’ll Never Walk Alone. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he released a new version of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as a tribute to the National Health Service.