Ray Rayner was just winging it everyday, and us kids loved every minute. Such good memories.

My little cousins and I watched Ray every morning before school, and I would watch him today if he were still on !! I loved the sticky notes on his orange jump suit, Suzy Snowflake, Hardrock Coco and Joe, and Frosty the Snowman at Christmas time !! Oh how I miss those childhood days of innocence ,..and my Grandma !!! Rest in Peace Grandma and Ray !!!

It's hard to click the 'like' button. I miss those innocent times. Miss you Ray Rayner. R.I.P. :-(

It was great being a kid growing up in Chicago in the 60's and 70's, Ray Rayner, Bozo's Circus, Garfield Goose, and Cartoon Town, et al. I especially remember RR for his Diver Dan skits.

@celeste5873

2 жыл бұрын

@luisreyes1963

Жыл бұрын

I concur.

Ray was part of my morning routine before I went to school. Like losing an old friend. RIP Ray.😥😇❤️

We need another like him desperately

@luisreyes1963

Жыл бұрын

Sadly, live local children's TV shows went the way of the dodo.

I remember Ray writing the weather forecast on his chalkboard,showing Cub and Blackhawk highlights from the day before,and of course showing the best cartoons anywhere.RIP my friend,you made getting up for school a whole lot easier.

It's true. Ray Rayner connected with me as a child, and even as an older kid. He was cool, and it shined through. I loved everything he did in Chicago.

Ray Rayner was one of my childhood TV friends. I was a faithful fan right until his last Ray Rayner morning show telecast. How sad just how much children's TV has degraded.

I will never forget growing up watching Ray Raynor every morning before school.. Great show from a great man. RIP.

What great memories! I grew up watching Ray Rayner, Garfield Goose and Bozo. I can still remember all the words to the Cuddly Dudley song. I'm so glad I had entertainers like this growing up. It made the 60's and 70's in Chicago so special. Thank you for the tribute. Ray, rest in peace.

I grew up watching Ray, and will miss him so much.

He was incredible I still love to find his works in the rare archives of Chicago childhood memories he and BJ & Dirty Dragon I still adore.

@gregory46236

2 жыл бұрын

Omg! So remember BJ and Dirty Dragon. Thanks!!!!

When Ray would do arts and crafts and fumble things up it made me feel like I didn't have to be perfect either and gave me confidence to try new things. Thanks Ray!

@Zeldarw104

8 жыл бұрын

yes! yes!

My brother and I have fond memories of watching Ray before school...and oh, those projects. When bro called me back then to tell me of Ray's passing, he and I speculated on whether Ray would be buried in a "you can do it yourself" coffin made of Popsicle sticks!

Even though I'm not originally from the Chicago area, this man is - to me, anyway - a beloved legend in television in Chicago. Rest well, Ray - for you have earned it, many times over.

Besides Sammy Davis, Ray was probably the hardest working man in show business. He wore so many hats at the WGN studio he might as well have lived there. He was much beloved by us Chicago kids.

Enjoyed Ray Rayner most every morning…WGN provided us with the Greatest Childhood….

I remember the day when I watched the news and saw that ray rayner had died, it's like a little piece of me died I watched him and grew up with him along with Bob bell Roy brown Ned louck and all the other Chicago favorites. I feel so sorry for the kids of today who have no role models to look up to, and that's what these folks were to us kids back then was role models. Even Thanksgiving isn't the same without watching ray Rayner hack hisTurkey to pieces on TV. And who doesn't remember counting the jellybean contest the crazy songs or the do it yourself projects. Rest in peace guys you've done a good job and will never forget you.

@banjoenthral9579

9 жыл бұрын

I grew up with Chicago TV as well during the 1960's & 1970's. Your post made me laugh! God Bless Mr. Rayner, Mr. Bell, and all of the performers!!

@Zeldarw104

8 жыл бұрын

Yesssssssss!!😍

@MsMadmax1

5 жыл бұрын

I feel the same way. The days of T.V. shows like that are long gone and so are the hosts. I'm so thankful for shows like Ray Rayner, Garfield Goose, Bozo and Family Classics. I miss the days when families had one television in the house and we all watched television together. Funny, at the time we had channels 2,5,7,9,11,26,32 & 44 and there was always something to watch. Now we have hundreds of channels and there are very few really good programs on.

Every morning I got up early and watched this show, and it was like that glass in the TV screen didn't even exist... we were right there with him as he fed Chelveston and made his half-baked craft projects. Shows like this don't get created or planned, they just evolve to this level of 'perfect'.

In the middle 1970's right of high school I wrote Mr. Rayner a letter to inquire if there were jobs at a place like WGN and if it was worth pursuing a career there. He actually took the time to write me back a response on the back of my original letter... told me that most of the jobs were union and so they went to union members' friends and families (how about that) so mildly discouraged me from that career. But he was nice enough to hand-write me that response, and I can't believe that somehow I managed to misplace it.

Loved Rayner growing up. My parents seemed to enjoyed watching Ray doing his crafts. He tried, then Chancy had his that was perfect. Enjoyed when he visited Lincoln Park Zoo.

Unforgettable Ray Rayner. Interesting footnote: Ray Rayner died just 2 days before Captain Kangaroo (another kid show star.)

@MsMadmax1

5 жыл бұрын

I loved the Captain as well. I loved the magic drawing board and when he'd read a story like "Francis" the little badger.

Ray was a HUGE part of my childhood.

My aunt loved his craft segments. His efforts pretty much looked like what a kid would make. We saw the show for some years, on cable, through the '70s, until he retired.

I was in Fort Madison Iowa as a kid and I loved his craft segment, He always showed how it should be done but would make a mess of his try, then he would give away the crafts and you could chose which one you wanted..RIP Ray

Turtle races, notes clipped all over his jumpsuit, Cuddley Dudley, Diver Dan, Hardrock, Coco, and Joe at X-mas time, imperfect craft projects, and Chalveston the Duck. Thanks Ray for all the smiles and laughs.

@joeshmoe7450

2 жыл бұрын

O my goodness, the turtle races, unbelievable and remember at the end of the show sometimes, he would get the matching gear out of the closet and march around the studio. Funny stuff.

I never grow tired of seeing this clip!

Just learned of his passing (after the fact)--loved that man and the show. Brought tears to my eyes--RIP.

Wow. So important to my childhood! Loved you Ray!!

I was on the Ray Rayner show in 1979. I won the Jelly Bean Contest

@markgalassini8742

4 жыл бұрын

Donelle Radzus that’s cool! I remember the jelly beans. Bozo, bj and the dirty dragon show great times.

As a first grade teacher, I'd sometimes have post it notes all over my shirt to remember the tasks for the day. One afternoon, I said "I feel just like Ray Rayner." My boys and girls looked at each other and said "Who?" They'll never know...

I miss my cuddly duddley. Great show. Love you Mr. Rayner! Thanks for the memories!

I have tears watching this.

Ray grew up in NYC and was at one time at the Stalag in Germany the basis of The Classic Movie Great Escape. He and another Hero of many Children of the 60 s and 70 s in NYC Sonny Fox were both POW s.

Grew up in carpentersville watched every morning before heading off to Lakewood middle School thanks ray for the memories

Sure don't make shows like this anymore! RIP Ray😓

I love this show good old days ❤️

Wow these childhood memories,classic tv!

Ray Rayner was a very versatile performer who also hosted the Illinois Lottery Show on Thursday nights. He could fit into any genre and do it well. But he'll always be known for Ray Rayner & Friends and Bozo's circus where he was Bozo's sidekick before the kooky cook Cooky joined the show.

I missed my childhood show good bless ray

He showed me how grow tomatoes in a plastic trash can. RIP Ray. You were the only reason I was awake when I got to school.

i waiched all of his shows as a kid,,R.i.P sir

My father played on his Ray Rayner Shine Show, they had a band, similar to Bozo's Circus. That was right before Bozo's Circus began. Then Dad was the picollo player in Bob Trendler's Big Top Band since 1959. ( when it was Great! With real circus acts, the full 13 piece band, and Ray's inimitable Oliver O. Oliver was in the crew! My sister Adrienne also worked for Ray's morning show as an assistant. Then she rushed to her usherette job at Phil Donahue, followed by ushering on Bozo's Circus after Donahue was over. Whew! She was busy but loved that job. I got to go to Bozo with my sister's & our friends a lot too. And That was a great childhood! Met them in the cafeteria sans makeup, met the Romper Room lady, everyone who was anyone on WGN. Then watching the rehearsal was so funny! I wish I could go back to being a kid sometimes!

I REMEMBER RAY WHEN I WAS A KID. RIP 👍

WOW I loved Ray Rayner my favorite Cuddly Duddly

I remember watching this before going to school, I like the shorts such as :Clutch cargo, journey to the beginning of time.

FT really shoed great movies looked forward to every Friday night before the weekend.........

Great guy

Raised a generation of Chicago kids self included ❤

Fun days we had as kids in chicago ! And look now the kids are killing each other and selling drugs how sad we have become .

@byronbenguche

9 жыл бұрын

Yeah it's sad that this generation will never know the joys of childhood

@AndreOutlaw

8 жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same. But I didn't want to come off as the old man yelling: Get off my lawn! Such an innocent time for me back then. It's strange. I'm usually shocked when I hear that a childhood icon is still around, yet so sad when I hear one has passed away.

I loved Ray Raynor! My dad was the picollo in the Bob Trendler's Big Top Band on Bozo's Circus, since te beginning in '59. Prior to that he played in the band on the Ray Raynor Shine Show. He was hilarious and so afraid of the ducks!

AWESOME

rip i grew up watching this before school

The Ray Rayner Show was old cartoons and some very weak sounding bits including craft projects and him singing a song but Ray was actually so likable that it was a hit. I grew up watching this show.

absolute legend

He was an amazing man and a true blue guy. I miss him!!! He is in heaven now with Jesus!!!

Love Ray❤

just watch this clip again it made me think of something else his Jelly Bean contest where they would always count the jelly beans and someone would win the jelly beans and the container what a thrill and then there's the special Thanksgiving episode where he always hacked up the poor turkey into pieces and someone would play a sound effect of an Old Rip saw or a Crosscut saw as he would cut into the bird LOL good times indeed but now gone forever

I love it.

In the middle 70's I wrote Ray Rayner to ask whether it was possible to get any sort of a start to a career in broadcasting. He took the time to hand-write me a reply, telling me that basically all the jobs at a TV station were union jobs and you usually had to know someone to get into that business. I seem to have lost that letter long ago but I should have kept it - it would have been such a great souvenir of this Chicago TV legend.

RIP Mr Rayner.

OMG...he was so awesome!

Great clip only thing missing was RAY RAYNER🙏

He was USAF in WWII Help the P.O.W.s in the Great Escape. Love His Shows. Heaven is for Heroes, R.I.P.

@SteveKrampitz

Жыл бұрын

He’s a True American Hero! Read about this and more HERE: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Rayner

@maureencora1

Жыл бұрын

@@SteveKrampitz Touche' (smile)

Ray also hosted "Rocket to Adventure " where he would show Marvel Superheroes Gigantor The 8th Man and Superman!!!!!!

R I p

Don't forget your boots & rubbers.

God bless ray rayner.i have a dog named cuddly d u dd lyrics today.

WE ALL HAD THE STUFFED CUDDLY DUDDLY

@Zeldarw104

8 жыл бұрын

yes! yes!😊

@franklapore7667

8 жыл бұрын

great toy for free too

@townhall05446

6 жыл бұрын

Actually the 'Cuddly Duddly' stuff was frequently more about the interaction between Rayner and Roy Brown (the puppeteer) than it was between Ray and the Cuddly Dudley character.

☮️

He also as Ronald McDonald for McDonald's in 1968