03 November 2014
Newsdesk
Acker Bilk, the legendary jazz Clarinettist, has died after a period of illness, aged 85 reports the BBC.
'Stranger on the Shore' released in 1962 pushed him to international fame.
Born Bernard Stanley Bilk, he changed his name to Acker - Somerset slang for mate - after learning the clarinet during his time in the army.
He was known for his trademark goatee, bowler hat, striped waistcoat and his breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register clarinet style.
His last concert was in August 2013.
Pamela Sutton, who was Bilk's personal manager for 45 years, said he had "been ill for some time. He was my great friend and his music was legendary."
He leaves his wife Jean, daughter Jenny and son Pete.
Bilk was awarded an MBE in 2001 for services to the music industry.
He was originally diagnosed with throat cancer in 2000 but beat the disease and went on to play concerts, the last of which was at the Brecon Festival last year.
He also had hits with tunes such as Summer Set and Buona Sera.
