<Tr> <Th> Lyricist (s) </Th> <Td> Oscar Hammerstein II </Td> </Tr> <P> "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel . In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the male lead, commits suicide after a failed robbery attempt . It is reprised in the final scene to encourage a graduation class of which Louise (Billy and Julie's daughter) is a member . The now invisible Billy, who has been granted the chance to return to Earth for one day in order to redeem himself, watches the ceremony and is able to silently motivate the unhappy Louise to join in the song . </P> <P> The song is also sung at association football clubs around the world, where it is performed by a massed chorus of supporters on matchday; this tradition began at Liverpool F.C. in the early 1960s . </P> <P> Christine Johnson, who created the role of Nettie Fowler, introduced the song in the original Broadway production . Later in the show Jan Clayton, as Julie Jordan, reprised it, with the chorus joining in . </P>

Who started singing you'll never walk alone first