From Coronation Street Wiki

Raymond Anthony "Ray" Langton was major character, played by Neville Buswell.

Biography

He first appeared in 1966. Born at Number 2, Gas Street, he quickly became known to the local police. He went into the building trade, and formed a partnership with Len Fairclough. In 1975, Ray married Deirdre Hunt, and their only daughter, Tracy Langton was born in 1977. After having had an affair with a waitress, Ray went to work in Holland, leaving Deirdre to bring up Tracy on her own.

Ray made a surprise one-off appearance in the special video episode Viva Las Vegas!, inexplicably now living in America, but this was ignored in subsequent episodes.

On 2nd March 2005, Ray made a return to Coronation Street, surprising for some, shocking for others. By chance, his car hit baby Amy Barlow's pram on what was originally to be Ken Barlow and Deirdre's second wedding day. He met up with Blanche Hunt, Deirdre, Ken, Tracy, and Steve McDonald, who he later became friends with, after just over a quarter of a century. He announced he was dying of stomach cancer, and it turned out he had been divorced for five years. He was taken in by Emily Bishop. Tracy eventually softened towards Ray, and when it came round to Ken and Deirdre's wedding, he wished the couple well. Tragically, Ray died of his illness at the wedding reception in the Rovers Return Inn on 8th April 2005, making him the second person to die at that location, the first being Martha Longhurst (13th May 1964). He was 58 years old. Typical of Ray, he ordered a "do-it-yourself" coffin before his death.

Miscellaneous information

• The character of Ray Langton as played by Buswell was also intended to be one of the stars of a proposed comedy Spin-off from Coronation Street entitled Rest Assured which got as far as the recording of a pilot programme in 1972 which, to date, has not been transmitted.

• He appeared in Viva Las Vegas!, a VHS spin-off released in 1998. This was a brief cameo appearance.

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