Gerry & the Pacemakers

Gerry and the Pacemakers, were a British beat group prominent in the 1960s Merseybeat scene. In common with the Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein, and were recorded by George Martin. Their early successes alongside the Beatles were instrumental in popularizing the Merseybeat sound and launching the wider British beat boom of the mid-1960s.

They were the first act to reach number one in the UK Singles Chart with their first three single releases: “How Do You Do It?”, “I Like It” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. This record was not equalled for 20 years, until the mid-1980s success of fellow Liverpool band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Another of their most famous songs, “Ferry Cross the Mersey”, refers to the River Mersey, which flows past Liverpool, and was the title song for the film of the same name. The group also enjoyed some success in North America as part of the British Invasion with seven of their singles reaching the US top 40, the most popular being “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying”.

Marsden led the group, on and off through the years, until his retirement in 2018. Since his death in 2021 (at his request before his retirement), his bandmates (from his final lineup of the band) returned to touring as Gerry’s Pacemakers.

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