Gerry & The Pacemakers were a rock and roll band during the 1960s. Gerry Marsden formed the group in 1959 with his brother Freddie Marsden, other members Les Chadwick and Arthur McMahon. They were right up there alongside The Beatles playing in similar venues throughout Hamburg in Germany and of course Liverpool. But in 1961 they recruited a new band member called Les Maguire who replaced Arthur McMahon on the piano.
They were signed by manager Brian Epstein around 1962 as his second band after The Beatles, who further down the line signed them with Columbia Records.
Gerry & The Pacemakers are remembered for being the first band to hit the number one slot in the UK singles chart with their very first 3 single releases. No other single artist or band had achieved this status until around 20 years later the success of other local band; Frankie Goes to Hollwood also making this achievement. Frankie Goes to Hollwood were a dance pop band that was popular in the 1980s. The Liverpool group was fronted by Holly Johnson on the vocals, Paul Rutherford who done vocals and keyboard, Peter Gill on the drums, Mark O’Toole manned the bass guitar and Brian Nash was lead guitarist.
Popular songs from Gerry & The Pacemakers include Ferry Cross the Mersey and Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying. But it was the release of legend anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone which really allowed the band to excel and was easily their biggest hit. For many years it has remained the anthem of the crowds at Liverpool Football Club and is played before kick off every match.
By late 1965, Gerry & The Pacemakers popularity made a rapid decline both in the UK and the US and the band split up just one year later in 1966. Drummer Freddie Marsden died on the 9th December 2006, aged 66.