It was with great sadness that I heard the news about Gerry Marsden’s passing.
Gerry made his name in music in Liverpool. He was a local lad, and was at the heart of it all when the Mersey Beat transformed the world of music.
As a fella, Gerry was as good as gold and great company to be around. I was privileged to spend a lot of time with him over the years.
Of course, he was best known for You’ll Never Walk Alone, the legendary song that became affiliated to Liverpool Football Club.
It was also adopted by Celtic Football Club, and it was fitting that Celtic paid tribute to Gerry during the week.
Indeed, I’ll never forget being at Celtic Park when my former club invited Liverpool to play in Glasgow after the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989.
To see 60,000 supporters all mixing together that afternoon, and singing You’ll Never Walk Alone, side by side, was both unforgettable, and very emotional.
But the song also resonates with football fans around Europe and the world.
One or two other clubs use the song as their anthem, and that is a great compliment to Gerry.
It is also played at weddings and funerals, and touches so many in so many different circumstances.
I just love the song. It will never leave me.
Even recently, in 2019, I was at a Take That concert at Anfield, with the stadium jam-packed. I think I was surrounded by about 50,000 women!
Gerry was invited on to the stage as a special guest to sing “The Song”, and it brought the house down. It was a very moving moment.
It’s extremely sad that we’ll never get to hear Gerry singing it again.
But the song will live on, and it will always have a place right at the heart of Liverpool and the supporters.
The thoughts of everyone in the Dalglish household are with Gerry’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.
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