Gerry Marsden, born Gerard Marsden on September 24, 1942, in Toxteth, Liverpool, England, was an English singer-songwriter, musician, and television personality best known as the leader of the Merseybeat group Gerry and the Pacemakers. Formed in 1959, the band signed with manager Brian Epstein and released their debut single “How Do You Do It?” in 1963 on Columbia Records, which reached Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart. Gerry and the Pacemakers became the first act in UK chart history to have their first three single releases reach Number 1, following with “I Like It” and “You'll Never Walk Alone” in 1963, the latter becoming the official anthem of Liverpool F.C. In 1964, the group released the hit singles “I'm the One”, “Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying”, and “Ferry Cross the Mersey”, which spawned a 1965 musical film of the same name. After the group disbanded in 1966, Marsden hosted television programs and starred in the West End musical Charlie Girl. In the 1980s, he topped the UK Singles Chart with two charity ensemble singles: “You'll Never Walk Alone” as part of The Crowd in 1985 and “Ferry Cross the Mersey” alongside Paul McCartney in 1989. Marsden published his autobiography I'll Never Walk Alone in 1993 and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2003. He died from a heart infection in Merseyside on January 3, 2021, at age 78.
