The lead vocalist of the Gerry and the Pacemakers has passed away at the age of 78 following a short illness as he was struggling with an infection in his heart.
- Jan 4, 2021
AceShowbiz - Gerry and the Pacemakers frontman Gerry Marsden has died at the age of 78.
The musician, who was best known as the leader of the Liverpool beat band, passed away after battling an infection in his heart, his friend and radio presenter Pete Price confirmed on Sunday (03Jan21).
"It's with a very heavy heart after speaking to the family that I have to tell you the Legendary Gerry Marsden MBE after a short illness which was an infection in his heart has sadly passed away (sic)," he posted on Twitter.
"Sending all the love in the world to (wife) Pauline and his family. You'll Never Walk Alone."
With The Beatles' Brian Epstein as their manager, Gerry and his band shot to fame with their 1963 hit "You'll Never Walk Alone", which led to fans of the group's local soccer team, Liverpool Football Club, adopting it as one of their traditional songs, which is still chanted by masses of devotees to this day.
The musicians also enjoyed success with singles including "I Like It", "How Do You Do It?", and "Ferry Across the Mersey", and Gerry later became a TV personality, even trying his hand at acting, starring in the West End musical "Charlie Girl" in 1968
The star had undergone triple heart bypass surgery in 2003 before having a second heart operation in 2016. He ultimately had a pacemaker fitted, which he once joked wasn't "funny" given his band's name.
When asked last year (20) if he finds it funny to have a band called the Pacemakers in his older age, he quipped, "No. I'm wearing one, for Christ's sake."
