Bill Tarmey (born William Piddington GBE; 4 April 1941 – 9 November 2012) was an English actor, singer, author, and comedian, he was best known for playing the role of Jack Duckworth in the long-running ITV soap opera, "Coronation Street", first playing the role in 1979, he played the role regularly from 1983 to 2010.