Bernard Stanley "Acker" Bilk MBE (born 28 January 1929) is an English clarinettist. He is known for his trademark goatee, bowler hat, striped waistcoat and his breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register clarinet style. Bilk's 1962 instrumental tune Stranger on the Shore became the first #1 single in the United States by an English artist in the era of the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.