Gerry and the Pacemakers formed in Liverpool in 1959, originally as a skiffle group. They were managed by Brian Epstein, who also handled The Beatles, and their first single 'How Do You Do It?' went to number one in the UK in 1963. That same year they released 'You'll Never Walk Alone,' which became Liverpool Football Club's anthem and remains their most enduring song.
Their early hits included 'I Like It' and 'Ferry Cross the Mersey,' both of which also reached number one. 'Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying' was another of their popular recordings from that period. The band consisted of Gerry Marsden on vocals and guitar, his brother Freddie Marsden on drums, Les Maguire on piano, and Arthur Macken on bass.
They were part of the same Liverpool scene that produced The Beatles and other Merseybeat groups, playing many of the same clubs before finding chart success. Their version of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' transformed a show tune from Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel' into something that resonated far beyond the pop charts.
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