Bernard Stanley "Acker" Bilk, MBE 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 Number 1. It was the first single to top the UK and US charts simultaneously, and the first No. 1 single in the United States by a British artist. In Canada it was number 4 for 4 weeks before peaking at number 3.