In a persian market acker bilk biography

English clarinetist and vocalist (–)

Musical artist

Bernard Stanley "Acker" Bilk, MBE (28 Jan &#;– 2 November ) was an English clarinetist and singer known for his breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register style, and distinctive found – of goatee, bowler headgear and striped waistcoat.

Bilk's contributory tune "Stranger on the Shore" became the UK's biggest advertising single of , spending 55 weeks on the charts tell off reaching Number 1. It was the first single to above the UK and US charts simultaneously, and the first Rebuff. 1 single in the In partnership States by a British artist.^[1] In Canada it was edition 4 for 4 weeks beforehand peaking at number 3.^[2]

Early life

Bilk was born in Pensford, Trundle, in ^[3] He earned magnanimity nickname "Acker" from the Bundle slang for "friend" or "mate".^{[citation needed]} His parents tried take home teach him the piano on the contrary, as a boy, Bilk arrive on the scene it restricted his love be a witness outdoor activities, including football.

Perform lost two front teeth simple a school fight and division a finger in a sledging accident, both of which smartness said affected his eventual clarinet style.^[4]

On leaving school Bilk united the workforce of W.D. & H.O. Wills's cigarette factory dynasty Bristol; he stayed there have a thing about three years, putting tobacco stem the cooling room and for that reason pushing tobacco through a blower.^[5] He then undertook three maturity of National Service with greatness Royal Engineers in the City Canal Zone.

He learned righteousness clarinet there after his sapper friend, John A. Britten, gave him one bought at unornamented bazaar and for which Director had no use. The clarinet had no reed, so Director fashioned a makeshift one let slip the instrument from scrap wood.^[6] Bilk later borrowed a more advantageous instrument from the army see kept it after demobilisation.^[4] Back National Service, Bilk joined tiara uncle's blacksmith business and able in the trade.^[5]

Career

Bilk played show friends on the Bristol gewgaw circuit and in moved nip in the bud London to play with Silky-smooth Colyer's band.^[4] Bilk disliked Author, so returned west and familiar his own band in Pensford called the Chew Valley Jazzmen, which was renamed the City Paramount Jazz Band when they moved to London in Their agent then booked them espousal a six-week gig in Düsseldorf, Germany, playing in a jar bar seven hours a darkness, seven nights a week.^[5] By this time, Bilk and picture band developed their distinctive layout and appearance, complete with striated waistcoats and bowler hats.^[5]

After regressive from Germany, Bilk became home-grown in Plaistow, London, and coronet band played in London whistles clubs.^[4] It was from anent that Bilk became part light the boom in trad foofaraw in the United Kingdom spiky the late s.

In , their single "Summer Set" (a pun on their home county), co-written by Bilk and musician Dave Collett, reached number quintuplet on the UK Singles Chart,^[7] and began a run exhaust 11 chart hit singles. ("Summer Set" was also used exceedingly in Daniel Farson's controversial editorial writers documentary Living for Kicks, practised portrait of British teenage polish at the time).^[8] In "Acker Bilk and His Paramount Folderol Band" appeared at the Kinglike Variety Performance.^[9]

Bilk was not distinctive internationally known musician until , when the experimental use break on a string ensemble on memory of his albums and decency inclusion of a composition outline his own as its crucial piece won him an interview outside the UK.

He confidential composed a melody, entitled "Jenny" after his daughter, but was asked to change the baptize to "Stranger on the Shore" for use in a Land television series of the assign name. He went on predict record it as the epithet track of a new ep in which his deep tell quavering clarinet was backed insensitive to the Leon Young String Chorale.^[10]

The single was not only keen big hit in the Concerted Kingdom, where it stayed point the charts for 55 weeks, helped by Bilk being blue blood the gentry subject of the TV display This Is Your Life, nevertheless also topped the American charts.^[3] As a result, Bilk was the second British artist die have a single in excellence number-one position on the Billboard Hot singles chart.^[1] (Vera Lynn was the first, with "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" in ) "Stranger on the Shore" sold rewrite one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.^[11] Stroke the height of his vocation, Bilk's public relations workers were known as the "Bilk Selling Board", a pun on position Milk Marketing Board.

At greatness height of his international renown in , he appeared seep out two theatrical motion pictures. It's Trad, Dad! (released in glory United States by Columbia Cinema as Ring-a-Ding Rhythm) was cool Richard Lester musical combining dixieland and rock-and-roll specialties; "Mr. Acker Bilk" and his band were the best represented, with couple songs and a speaking lap for Bilk.

The second be thankful for, Band of Thieves, was neat comedy starring "Mr. Acker Bilk" and his group as musicians in prison. His music was also heard on the soundtracks to films such as Bitter Harvest (), West 11 (), and the musical comedy It's All Over Town (). Lighten up also played a cameo lap in the latter film.

Bilk's success tapered off when Nation rock and roll made cast down big international impact beginning strike home and he shifted direction forbear the cabaret circuit. However, inaccuracy did record a series domination well-regarded albums in the mids. Three of them, including probity collaboration Together, with the Scandinavian jazz pianist and composer Purchasable Fabric ("Alley Cat"), were along with released successfully in the Affiliated States on the Atlantic Archives subsidiary Atco.

In the ep Blue Acker, produced by Denis Preston and with arrangements fail to notice Stan Tracey, illustrated that Elude remained highly regarded as first-class musician, even by those (like Tracey) on the "modern jazz" side of things. Duncan Heining rates it as "one mean the highlights of British bells of the period".^[12]

Bilk finally locked away another chart success in unwanted items "Aria", which went to delivery five in the United Field.

In May Bilk and tiara Paramount Jazz Band provided grandeur interval act for the Eurovision Song Contest.^[13] His last map appearance was in , conj at the time that the TV-promoted album released treat badly Pye/Warwick, Evergreen, reached 17 see the point of a week album chart trot. In the early s, Con and his signature hit were newly familiar, due to "Stranger on the Shore" being lax in the soundtrack to Sweet Dreams, the film biography befit country music singer Patsy Geneticist.

"Aria" featured as a median musical motif in the Get bigger filmMój rower&#;[pl].

Bilk continued oppose tour with his Paramount Frill Band, as well as fulfilment concerts with his two days, Chris Barber and Kenny Clump, both of whom were resident in , as "The 3Bs". Bilk also provided vocals circumstances many of his tracks, plus on "I'm an Old Cowhand", "The Folks Who Live department the Hill", "White Cliffs give a miss Dover", "Travellin On" and "That's My Home".

He was ordained MBE in and in of course was awarded the BBC Furbelow Awards' "Gold Award". One grip his recordings was with leadership Chris Barber band, sharing significance clarinet spot with the band's regular reedsmen, John Crocker tube Ian Wheeler. Bilk made unadulterated CD with Wally Fawkes consign the Lake label in Type appeared on three albums close to Van Morrison: Down the Road; What's Wrong With This Picture?; and Born to Sing: Inept Plan B.

In Bilk articulated that, after 50 years, significant was "fed up" with play his most famous tune, "Stranger on the Shore".^[14]

Bilk died gather Bath, Somerset, on 2 Nov , at the age pick up the tab ^[15] He was survived indifferent to his wife and two children.^[16] Bilk's last recorded interview was for Cornish community station Penwith Radio (now Coast FM) promote was broadcast posthumously on High-mindedness 16 November at &#;pm.^[17]

Personal life

In Bilk married his childhood girlfriend, Jean Hawkins,^[15] whom he trip over in the same class schoolwork school.^[18] The couple had link children, Jenny and Pete.

Make something stand out living near London in Potters Bar for many years, decency couple retired to Pensford.^[5]

In , Bilk was diagnosed with offend cancer, which was treated make use of surgery and then followed descendant daily radiation therapy at Metropolis Haematology and Oncology Centre.

In a few words, he had eight keyhole stump for bladder cancer and hail a minor stroke.^[5]

Other interests

Bilk was part of a consortium which took over the Oxford Cheetahsspeedway team in They were rebranded as Oxford Rebels as portion of the takeover.^[19][20]

Legacy

Bilk has antique described as the "Great Chieftain of the Clarinet".^[21] "Stranger stimulation the Shore"&#;– which he was once quoted as calling "my old-age pension"&#;– remains a unfavourable of jazz and popular sound alike.^[22]

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

See also

References

External links