Big Red Book

Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Acker Bilk, jazz clarinetist and bandleader, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the site of a proposed new centre for disabled youngsters in Slough, having been led to believe he was there for publicity photographs.

Acker, who was born in Pensford, Somerset, first played the clarinet while serving with the Royal Engineers during his National Service. Later, working as a blacksmith, he continued playing on the Bristol jazz circuit until he took up music full-time and formed his own band, the Paramount Jazz Band.

Having developed their distinctive style and appearance, complete with striped waistcoats and bowler hats, the band became part of the boom in Trad jazz in London in the late 1950s. They achieved chart success with various recordings, including Stranger on the Shore, composed by Acker, which became the UK's biggest-selling single of 1962 and won an Ivor Novello award.

programme details...

• Edition No: 192
• Subject No: 193
• Broadcast live: Mon 16 Apr 1962
• Broadcast time: 8.00-8.30pm
• Venue: BBC Television Theatre
• Series: 7
• Edition: 29

on the guest list...

• George Lewis
• Ella Harris
• Graham 'Holy' Baber
• Gordon 'Zank' Sawyer
• Sgt Murdo Chisholm
• Gordon Hazell
• George Ireland
• Jean - wife
• Cliff Brown
• Roy King
• G Q Williams
• John Skuse
• Johnny Stainer
• Mike Redston
• Carl Lyrmann
• Prof Stanley Unwin
• Jenny - daughter
• Peter - son
• Nora Ellerker
• Dave - brother
• Lilian - mother
• Paramount Jazz Band
• Heather Butler
• Richard Watts
• Mrs Ford
• Mrs Whitemore
• Nora Ford
• Mr Davis
• Mrs Perry

related appearances...

• Alvin Stardust - Mar 1985
• Elisabeth Welch - Nov 1985
• Cliff Michelmore and Jean Metcalfe - Dec 1986
• Bob Holness - Apr 1990
• Benny Green - Feb 1996

production team...

• Researchers: Alfred Draper, John Ralph
• Writer: Alfred Draper
• Director: Yvonne Littlewood
• Producer: T Leslie Jackson

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

All that Jazz

covering all the notes

The Big Red Book

the programme's icon

Interviews

Acker Bilk recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in an exclusive interview recorded in January 2010

Photographs of Acker Bilk This Is Your Life - and Acker Bilk photographed at his home with his big red book in January 2010