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Obituary | ‘World’s most durable DJ’ ‘Uncle’ Ray Cordeiro, a warm voice in the late night hours to generations in Hong Kong, dies at 98
- In a broadcasting career that spanned 72 years, Uncle Ray became a familiar voice to millions with his late-night RTHK radio show All the Way with Ray
- His programmes were the launch pad for many a singing career and he met numerous musical stars, including The Beatles – although Elvis eluded him
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Reinaldo Maria Cordeiro, better known to his legions of listeners as “Uncle Ray”, has died peacefully in a Hong Kong hospital aged 98.
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He died on January 13 at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Medical Centre surrounded by his closest friends, with the singer Joe Junior leading the singing of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, the committee arranging his funeral said.
A constant on Hong Kong’s airwaves for 70 years, “The World’s Most Durable DJ”, an accolade awarded to him by Guinness World Records, was a warm voice in the late night hours for generations of listeners, and instantly recognisable with his flat cap, beard and glasses.
He helped bring popular music to teenage audiences in the 1960s and provided a launch pad for a number of Hong Kong bands. While Elvis Presley eluded him, Cordeiro met most of the great singers, both local and international, from the 1950s onwards.
Born in Hong Kong on December 12, 1924, at the family home in Wan Chai Road, Cordeiro was a descendant of Portuguese immigrants. He was especially close to his mother. As a boy, he had a stutter, which she helped to cure by motivating him and instilling confidence.
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