HONG KONG ā After more than seven decades in radio, a 96-year-old Hong Kong DJ bid farewell to his listeners Saturday with āTime to Say Goodbye,ā sung by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.
āWell thatās it. Thank you very much for tuning in, goodbye, thank you for coming,ā Ray Cordeiro said in both English and Cantonese before signing off ahead of the 1 a.m. news.
Recommended Videos
It was the coda to a radio career that began 72 years ago, and a more than 50-year run for his show āAll the Way with Ray,ā which started on public broadcaster RTHK in 1970. Along the way, he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Tony Bennett, the Beatles and Cliff Richard and nurtured rising Hong Kong pop stars such as Sam Hui.
In 2000, the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged Cordeiro as āThe Worldās Most Durable DJ.ā
Affectionately called āUncle Ray,ā Cordeiro is known for his deep, calm voice, trademark flat cap, and easy listening repertoire. For his last show, he spun a variety of tunes from the the Carpenters, Perry Como and Louis Armstrong, among others. He was born in Hong Kong of Portuguese descent.
āI think Iām the luckiest man in the world," he said in an interview with RTHK earlier this week. āTo do what I want to do, to love what I want to love, and I donāt think I have any regrets.ā