Ray Cordeiro passed away in Hong Kong on Friday at the age of 98 following a career spanning more than seven decades. Cordeiro, better known by his stage name Uncle Ray, was named the world’s longest-serving DJ in 2000 by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Reinaldo Maria Cordeiro was “a prominent figure in Hong Kong’s popular culture” who “has made significant contributions to the musical scene,” said Kevin Yeung, the city’s culture minister. He has launched the careers of many local musicians and introduced generations of fans to pop music trends through his radio shows. As a radio presenter, he got the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra in front of the microphone, among others.
Cordeiro died in Hong Kong on Friday, surrounded by family and friends who sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in farewell. He was hospitalized last year following a heart attack.
Born in Hong Kong in 1924, Cordeiro was the fifth of six children of Portuguese immigrants. After working as a prison guard and bank clerk, he turned to music. In 1949 he presented his first program ‘Progressive Jazz’ on Radio Rediffusion. In the 1960s, he made a name for himself with shows on Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), which were a big hit with teenagers. His 1970 late-night program “All The Way With Ray” became the station’s longest-running radio program. “I had the best in life and I had everything I wanted to be, everything I wanted to do,” he said upon his retirement in 2021.
Watch the interview with Ray when he retired.
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