Acker Bilk, Somerset, UK

Brian Creamer · Posted 2 Nov 2014 3:25 pm

Another great musician has passed on.Acker died in Bath Royal Hospital.I knew Acker and his brother since 1958 and was at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London in 1962 when they had his This is Your Life on television.His most famous hit was Stranger On The Shore.He was 85 years old.R.I.P my friend.

Billy Easton · From: Nashville, TN USA

What a great recording of "Stranger on the Shore". I always thought it was curious that they always addressed him as "MR" Acker Bilk. RIP...

Billy Easton
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Billy & Meriul Easton
Nashville, TN

Roy Heap · From: United Kingdom

One of the West Country's great jazz artist. RIP Acker.

Joe Naylor · From: Avondale, Arizona, USA

I agree with Billy - but R I P Mr Acker

Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com
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Joe Naylor, Avondale, AZ (Phoenix) Announcer/Emcee owner www.steelseat.com *** OFFERING SEATS AND Effects cases with or without legs and other stuff ****** -Desert Rose Guitar S-10, Life Member of the Arizona Carport Pickers Assoc., Southwest Steel Guitar Assoc., Texas Steel Guitar Assoc., GA Steel Guitar Assoc., KS Steel Guitar Assoc. (Asleep at the Steel) tag line willed to me by a close late friend RIP

Archie Nicol R.I.P. · From: Ayrshire, Scotland

Stranger On The Shore has always been a favourite of mine. Probably because my Dad played it at home.

Arch.
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I'm well behaved, so there!

Craig Baker · From: Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.

Great tune. According to most surveys, listeners never get tired of hearing it on the radio. Not terribly hard to play on E9th either.

Ben Brogdon told me he once met Mrs. Acker Bilk.

(You had to know Ben.)

Craig.
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"Make America Great Again". . . The Only Country With Dream After Its Name.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Sorry to hear of his passing... Stranger on the Shore has been one of my favorite instrumentals since it came out. I play it on guitar or on steel (E9) and it always gets a very good response. I miss the days when instrumentals actually could make the hit parade... He was always referred to as "Mister Acker Bilk".....RIP Sir....JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Morgan Scoggins · From: Georgia, USA

I was in high school in about 1962 or 1963 when "Stranger On the Shore" was released. It was a time when instrumentals were all over the record charts. Songs like "The Stripper', "Wipe Out", "Midnight In Moscow", and all kind of hits by the Ventures, Ray Anthony, Roger Williams and many others were always being played on the radio stations.
"Stranger On the Shore" is a beautiful gentile song that had a lot of clarinet players learning to play it. It kind of reminded me of the song "Lady of Spain" became such a standard for the accordion players of that day.
Rest in peace Mister Aker Bilk.
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"Shoot low boys, the're ridin' Shetlands"

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Strange how everyone associates Acker Bilk with "Stranger on the Shore". He was basically a traditional jazz musician, and, to my mind, sounded best with his band. "Stranger on the Shore" is completely unlike the rest of his work, but is what Americans seem to associate with him.

I loved the Trad era in Britain, which didn't happen in the USA, when bands like Kenny Rogers, Acker Bilk and Chris Barber were so popular. "Acker" is Cornish for "friend", by the way. Winking

In Britain they had a billboard for the Milk Marketting Board which had the sign "Drink a Pint of Milk a Day", and wags would change it to "Drink an Acker Bilk a Day." Laughing

There's a post elsewhere on this Forum about signature hats, and Acker Bilk will always be remembered for his. He would be unrecognisable without it.

Craig Baker · From: Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.

Alan,
Thank you for the info on Mr. Acker Bilk. For die-hard fans of great music, here's a link to his recording of the old Platters tune, "Only You". Another beautiful melody which also lends itself well to the E9th neck on my old Sho~Bud.

Mr. Acker Bilk - "Only You"

http://picosong.com/fTJr

Enjoy,
Craig Baker 706-485-8792

cmbakerelectronics@gmail.com

C.M. Baker Electronics
P.O. Box 3965
Eatonton, GA 31024
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"Make America Great Again". . . The Only Country With Dream After Its Name.

Barry Blackwood · Posted 4 Nov 2014 3:54 pm

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At0wsBrSlII
Listen to this recording from 1959. It's much more like his regular style, when he was at his best. In later years he found that could earn more by recording solos with orchestras, shedding his band, but this old stuff is where he was in his prime. Cool

Jack Stanton · From: Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey

That's MR. Acker Bilk to you, Bud!

Tony Davis · From: Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Alan....I think you will find that was Kenny Ball the Trumpet player you were referring to.not the
Singer ......sorry Whoa!

Ackers first name was Bernard
He claimed to have learned the clarinet whilst in an
Army Lock up... for being asleep on watch.....I think somewhere in the Middle East......I find this doubtful as Military Slammers are not real nice places....and sure don't OK requests for such things
as clarinets......Bass Drums or anything else !!!!
I got to shake his hand once when he was here...He stood in the doorway after the show selling
CD,s

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