Mr. Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazz Band

Biography & Overview

Bernard Stanley "Acker" Bilk (28 January 1929 – 2 November 2014) was an English clarinetist and vocalist known for his breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register style, and distinctive appearance – of goatee, bowler hat and striped waistcoat.
Bilk's 1961 instrumental tune "Stranger on the Shore" became the UK's biggest selling single of 1962, spending 55 weeks on the charts and reaching No. 1 in the NME singles chart and No. 2 in the Record Retailer chart. In May 1962, it reached No. 1 on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and also took the No. 1 spot on the Year-End Hot 100 singles – becoming the first ever British artist to reach either of these Hot 100 achievements. In Canada it was number 4 for 4 weeks before peaking at number 3.