Gerry and the Pacemakers singer Gerry Marsden, whose version of You'll Never Walk Alone became a football terrace anthem for his hometown club of Liverpool, has died at the age of 78.
Gerry Marsden formed the group in the late 1950s with his brother, Fred, Les Chadwick and Arthur McMahon. They rivalled the Beatles early in their career, playing in the same areas of Hamburg, Germany and Liverpool, England. Mac (Arthur was called Mac as he didn't fancy the name Arthur) was replaced on piano by Les Maguire around 1961. They are known to have rehearsed at Camell Laird shipping yard at Birkenhead.
The band first played Cardiff in May 1963 at the Capitol Theatre on a bill headlined by The Beatles, visiting the same venue in February the following year.
