London (AFP)
Gerry Marsden, the singer who popularized "You'll never walk alone", which has become the anthem of the Liverpool club, died on Sunday at the age of 78, British media reported.
"It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Gerry Marsden," reacted the Reds on their Twitter account.
"Gerry's words will forever be etched in our memories. You will never walk alone."
Born in Liverpool, Marsden was the frontman of Gerry And The Pacemakers in the 1960s and covered "You'll never walk alone", originally written by American composers Rogers and Hammerstein for the musical Carousel in 1945.
The version of Gerry And The Pacemakers had been adopted by Liverpool fans from 1963 and had become one of football's most famous anthems.
Other clubs like Celtic, Feyenoord or Dortmund have also chosen it
Former Beatles Paul McCartney, who rubbed shoulders with Marsden and his band in the 1960s in Liverpool, paid tribute to the singer on his Twitter account.
"Gerry was a buddy when we started out in Liverpool. He and his band were our biggest rivals on the local scene."
"His unforgettable interpretations of + You'll Never Walk Alone + and + Ferry Cross the Mersey + (Editor's note: another Marsden hit) remain in the hearts of many people as memories of a joyous era in British music," said he added.
Marsden had re-recorded the song that became the Reds' anthem in April 2020 as a tribute to the British National Health Service during the coronavirus pandemic.
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