Ray Moore (broadcaster) facts for kids

Raymond Moore was a British broadcaster who lived from 1942 to 1989. He was most famous for hosting the early morning show on BBC Radio 2. He presented this popular radio show from 1982 to 1988.

Ray Moore's Early Life

Raymond Moore was born in Liverpool, England. He went to Waterloo Grammar School. From a young age, he dreamed of becoming an announcer for the BBC. After leaving school, his first job was at the Liverpool docks. Later, he worked as a technician and actor. He performed with theatre groups in places like Oldham, Sidmouth, and Swansea.

His Broadcasting Career

Moore started his broadcasting journey in 1962. His first job was as an announcer for Granada Television. He then moved to ATV in Birmingham. Eventually, he joined the BBC in Manchester and London.

In his autobiography, he shared that he worked hard to lose his Liverpool accent. He wanted to work for the BBC, but by the time he got a job there, it no longer mattered. At the BBC, he worked on the BBC Light Programme and later BBC Radio 2. He was an announcer for both radio and television. He provided voice-overs for popular shows like Come Dancing and Miss World. He also gave the radio commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest. In 1987, he even presented the Eurovision Song Contest Previews.

The Early Morning Show

From 1982 until his last show on January 28, 1988, Ray Moore hosted the early morning show on BBC Radio 2. He had a very unique broadcasting style. It was gentle, clever, and full of witty conversations.

He explained his approach in his autobiography:

My idea was that this show, on at such an early time, would only work if we agreed on one thing. That is, nobody in their right mind would choose to be awake so early. If we both had to be up, I thought, let's agree it's just you and me against the world. I decided to be cheerful, but in a slightly grumpy way. I wanted to avoid the forced cheerfulness that some shows on BBC Radio 4 had.

Banter with Terry Wogan

A fun part of the Radio 2 morning schedule was the chat between Ray Moore and Terry Wogan. Moore would hand over to Wogan's breakfast show at 7:30 AM. This friendly back-and-forth was a regular feature. However, it stopped when Wogan left his breakfast show in 1984. He left to present his own chat show.

The Bog-eyed Jog Events

Moore's show gained a loyal group of listeners. This was clear in 1986 and 1987. Thousands of early-morning joggers turned up for two 'Bog-eyed Jog' events. These events were held in sports stadiums across the UK. They helped raise money for Children in Need.

To support these events, he released two records. His song "O' My Father Had A Rabbit" was in the UK Singles Chart for seven weeks in 1986. It reached number 24. Moore loved to point out that it did better than Paul McCartney's "Only Love Remains." His next song, "Bog Eyed Jog," did not do as well. It reached number 61.

Personal Life and Passing

Ray Moore married Alma Mather in 1969. He was a heavy smoker. In 1987, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. He passed away on January 11, 1989. This was nine days after his 47th birthday.

In 1989, after he had passed away, he won an award. It was the Outstanding Personal Contribution to Radio award from the Broadcasting Press Guild.