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==Career==
==Career==
In January 1956, Ray made his television debut as the youngest member of a gang in the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] crime play ''The Guv'nor'',<ref name=":0">{{cite news |date=30 November 1998 |title=Robin Ray; Obituary |url=https://link-gale-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A59724540/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=0302ade6 |url-access=subscription |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[The Times]] |page=25 |via=Gale Academic OneFile}}</ref> and performed in a [[Bob and Alf Pearson]] summer show in [[Bournemouth]].<ref name="PresentRayIII">{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Malcolm |date=23 June 1956 |title=Presenting Ray III |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-chronicle-presenting-ray-iii-m/155417992/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[Manchester Evening Chronicle]] |page=11 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He first appeared as a professional actor in a West End production of ''[[The Changeling (play)|The Changeling]]'' at the [[Royal Court Theatre]] in 1960,<ref name="GuardianObit" /><ref name="Gifford">{{Cite news |last=Gifford |first=Denis |date=30 November 1998 |title=Robin Ray |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent-robin-ray-obituary-30/155415154/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[The Independent]] |page=6/Obituaries}}</ref> and played small roles in films such as ''[[I'm All Right Jack]]'' (1959) and ''[[A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day's Night]]'' (1964). Ray was the chief technical instructor at RADA from 1961 until his resignation in 1965,<ref name="DTObituary" /><ref name="Gifford" /> in support of the resignation of the principal John Fernald due to internal politics at the school.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{cite news |last=Steven |first=Alasdair |date=30 November 1998 |title=Robin Ray |url=https://link-gale-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A82950004/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=40590954 |url-access=subscription |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[The Scotsman]] |page=18 |via=Gale OneFile: News}}</ref> The decision allowed Ray to return to broadcasting.<ref name=":1" />
In January 1956, Ray made his television debut as the youngest member of a gang in the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] crime play ''The Guv'nor'',<ref name=":0">{{cite news |date=30 November 1998 |title=Robin Ray; Obituary |url=https://link-gale-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A59724540/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=0302ade6 |url-access=subscription |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[The Times]] |page=25 |via=Gale Academic OneFile}}</ref> and performed in a [[Bob and Alf Pearson]] summer show in [[Bournemouth]].<ref name="PresentRayIII">{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Malcolm |date=23 June 1956 |title=Presenting Ray III |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-chronicle-presenting-ray-iii-m/155417992/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[Manchester Evening Chronicle]] |page=11 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He first appeared as a professional actor in a West End production of ''[[The Changeling (play)|The Changeling]]'' at the [[Royal Court Theatre]] in 1960,<ref name="GuardianObit" /><ref name="Gifford">{{Cite news |last=Gifford |first=Denis |date=30 November 1998 |title=Robin Ray |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent-robin-ray-obituary-30/155415154/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[The Independent]] |page=6/Obituaries}}</ref> and played small roles in films such as ''[[I'm All Right Jack]]'' (1959) and ''[[A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day's Night]]'' (1964). Ray was the chief technical instructor at RADA from 1961 until his resignation in 1965,<ref name="DTObituary" /><ref name="Gifford" /> in support of the resignation of the principal John Fernald due to internal politics at the school.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{cite news |last=Steven |first=Alasdair |date=30 November 1998 |title=Robin Ray |url=https://link-gale-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A82950004/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=40590954 |url-access=subscription |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=[[The Scotsman]] |page=18 |via=Gale OneFile: News}}</ref> The decision allowed Ray to return to broadcasting.<ref name=":1" /> He went on to serve as associate director of the Meadow Brook Theater in Detroit, United States from 1965 to 1966.<ref name="WWWEntry">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/whowaswhovol10190010unse |title=Who Was Who |publisher=[[A & C Black]] |year=2001 |isbn=0-7136-5439-2 |volume=X: 1996-2000 |location=London, England |pages=479-480 |url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>


From 1965, he was the chairman of the new [[BBC]] show ''[[Call My Bluff (UK game show)|Call My Bluff]]'', and he was a popular regular panel member on the BBC classical music series, ''[[Face the Music (UK TV programme)|Face the Music]]'', which began in 1966. Ray was able to recognise pieces of piano music and name not only the piece and the composer but also the opus number, particularly the [[Köchel catalogue|Köchel]] or "K" number of pieces by [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]. His cheerful manner and boyish good looks made him a great favourite with viewers; he was asked to present other quiz programmes, including ''Movie Quiz'' and ''Film Buff of the Year'', which ran from 1985 to 1992.
From 1965, he was the chairman of the new [[BBC]] show ''[[Call My Bluff (UK game show)|Call My Bluff]]'', and he was a popular regular panel member on the BBC classical music series, ''[[Face the Music (UK TV programme)|Face the Music]]'', which began in 1966. Ray was able to recognise pieces of piano music and name not only the piece and the composer but also the opus number, particularly the [[Köchel catalogue|Köchel]] or "K" number of pieces by [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]. His cheerful manner and boyish good looks made him a great favourite with viewers; he was asked to present other quiz programmes, including ''Movie Quiz'' and ''Film Buff of the Year'', which ran from 1985 to 1992.

Revision as of 20:04, 16 September 2024

Robin Ray
Born
Robin Olden[1]

(1934-09-17)17 September 1934
London, England
Died29 November 1998(1998-11-29) (aged 64)
Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK
Occupation(s)Broadcaster, actor, musician
Years active1960-c.1997
SpouseSusan Stranks
ParentTed Ray
FamilyAndrew Ray (brother)

Robin Ray (17 September 1934 – 29 November 1998) was an English broadcaster, actor, and musician.

Early life

Born Robin Olden in Fulham, London on 17 September 1934, he was the eldest son of Charles Olden, later known as the comedian Ted Ray, and the dancer Dorothy Sybil Stevens.[1] His younger brother, Andrew, also became an actor.[1] At age 10, Ray received a record of Franz Schubert's Unfinished Symphony from his father and briefly harboured aspirations of becoming a classical conductor.[2] He also wanted to become a concert pianist until he realised his lack of skill.[1] Ray was taught at Highgate School in North London and decided to enroll at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) after his brother began working as a actor.[2][3] He did his national service in the Royal Army Service Corps and rose to the rank of second lieutenant.[1]

Career

In January 1956, Ray made his television debut as the youngest member of a gang in the ITV crime play The Guv'nor,[4] and performed in a Bob and Alf Pearson summer show in Bournemouth.[5] He first appeared as a professional actor in a West End production of The Changeling at the Royal Court Theatre in 1960,[3][6] and played small roles in films such as I'm All Right Jack (1959) and A Hard Day's Night (1964). Ray was the chief technical instructor at RADA from 1961 until his resignation in 1965,[2][6] in support of the resignation of the principal John Fernald due to internal politics at the school.[4][7] The decision allowed Ray to return to broadcasting.[7] He went on to serve as associate director of the Meadow Brook Theater in Detroit, United States from 1965 to 1966.[8]

From 1965, he was the chairman of the new BBC show Call My Bluff, and he was a popular regular panel member on the BBC classical music series, Face the Music, which began in 1966. Ray was able to recognise pieces of piano music and name not only the piece and the composer but also the opus number, particularly the Köchel or "K" number of pieces by Mozart. His cheerful manner and boyish good looks made him a great favourite with viewers; he was asked to present other quiz programmes, including Movie Quiz and Film Buff of the Year, which ran from 1985 to 1992.

The children's television programme Sounds Exciting, broadcast in 1968, was a musical education series culminating in a final "whodunit" called Dead in Tune, with Robin Ray's original story set to the music of Herbert Chappell performed by a chamber group of players from the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra. Two years later, Argo recorded the piece using an ensemble of 45 LSSO players conducted by Herbert Chappell. This LP also included a new commission, George and the Dragonfly, with John Kershaw's words set to the music of Herbert Chappell and narrated by Robin Ray, John Kershaw and Susan Stranks (Robin Ray's wife).

At the age of 45, he wrote the musical Cafe Puccini, which opened at the Wyndham's Theatre in 1986 with musical director William Blezard.[9] In the early 1980s he presented a programme called Robin Ray's Record Review on Capital Radio.

In the early 1990s, Ray was one of the first executives hired by the start-up commercial classical music radio station, Classic FM, with which he remained associated from 1991 to 1997. He drew up a list of 50,000 pieces of classical music and rated them for popular appeal, which was the basis for the Classic FM playlist. This list proved to be extremely attractive to similar popular classical music radio stations in other countries, and there was a legal dispute between Ray and Classic FM, which Ray won in 1998, as to who was entitled to the copyright in the playlist and ratings.[10]

Personal life and death

He became engaged to the actress and children's television presenter Susan Stranks in August 1958 and they married at St. Gabriel's Church in Warwick Street, Westminister on 25 January 1960.[1][11][12] They did not want to have children early in their careers but they changed their minds and had a son.[3] In 1998, Ray died of lung cancer in Hove, Sussex on 29 November 1998.[1]

Filmography

[13]

Year Title Role Notes
1956 Big City Market customer Episode: London – Nobby Clark & Showgirl
1958 The Young and the Guilty Boy in cafe Uncredited role
1959 I'm All Right Jack Young Chemist
1960 Carry On Constable Assistant Manager
1960 Doctor in Love Doctor Uncredited
1960 Watch Your Stern Flag lieutenant (aide to the admiral)
1963 Dig This Rhubarb 6 episodes
1964 A Hard Day's Night T.V. Floor Manager
1965–1970 Call My Bluff Presenter 53 episodes
1966 No Hiding Place Tommy Strachey Episode: A Dead Cert
1968 Crazy World, Crazy People Host Television film
1969–1970 Music Now Presenter 7 episodes
1967–1983 Face the Music Panel member 85 episodes
1972–1974 The Movie Quiz Presenter 30 episodes
1976–1977 The Lively Arts Presenter 37 episodes
1982–1984 Film Buff of the Year Presenter 29 episodes
1988 Alexei Sayle's Stuff Episode: Fun With Magnets

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Roger T. Stearn, "Ray, Robin (1934–1998)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Oct 2006 accessed 29 December 2006
  2. ^ a b c "Robin Ray". The Daily Telegraph. 30 November 1998. p. 23. Retrieved 16 September 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c Barker, Dennis (30 November 1998). "Robin Ray - Love affair with music". The Guardian. p. 15. Retrieved 16 September 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Robin Ray; Obituary". The Times. 30 November 1998. p. 25. Retrieved 16 September 2024 – via Gale Academic OneFile.
  5. ^ Moore, Malcolm (23 June 1956). "Presenting Ray III". Manchester Evening Chronicle. p. 11. Retrieved 16 September 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b Gifford, Denis (30 November 1998). "Robin Ray". The Independent. p. 6/Obituaries. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b Steven, Alasdair (30 November 1998). "Robin Ray". The Scotsman. p. 18. Retrieved 16 September 2024 – via Gale OneFile: News.
  8. ^ Who Was Who. Vol. X: 1996-2000. London, England: A & C Black. 2001. pp. 479–480. ISBN 0-7136-5439-2 – via Internet Archive.
  9. ^ ""Broadcaster Robin Ray dies", BBC Obituary but with wrong date of production". BBC News. 29 November 1998. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  10. ^ "Robin Ray v Classic FM Plc". Bailii. [1998] FSR 622. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  11. ^ "Robin Ray's Secret". Daily Herald. 20 December 1958. p. 5. Retrieved 16 September 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Ted Ray's son weds". Liverpool Daily Post. 26 January 1960. p. 9. Retrieved 16 September 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0712980/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1 [user-generated source]
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