Acker Bilk was born on January 28, 1929 in Pensford, Somerset, England, UK. He was a composer and actor, known for Red Heat (1988), There's Something About Mary (1998) and The Courier (2020). He was married to Jean Hawkins. He died on November 2, 2014 in Bath, Somerset, England, UK.
His nickname Acker is Somerset dialect for "mate".
His recording of "Stranger on the Shore" reached #1 on Billboard
magazine's pop music chart in 1962. It was also number 1 in the UK
charts and remained in the charts for more than a year.
On being awarded the MBE in 2001: over the moon with the Honour...I'll get a few of my friends in Somerset together, who I paint with, and we'll crack open a bottle of something, maybe cider.
[on reaching the age of 80] At my age, either you're dead or you're 80. And given that choice, I'd definitely rather be 80.