Ray Langton
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| Coronation Street character | ||||||||||||||
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| Ray Langton | ||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1966-1978, 2005 | |||||||||||||
| First appearance | 21 February 1966 | |||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 10 April 2005 | |||||||||||||
| Book appearances | Coronation Street: The Complete Saga | |||||||||||||
| Profile | ||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 18 February 1947 | |||||||||||||
| Date of death | 8 April 2005 | |||||||||||||
| Status | Deceased | |||||||||||||
| Occupation | Builder (retired) | |||||||||||||
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Raymond Anthony "Ray" Langton was a major character in the British television soap opera Coronation Street. He was played by Neville Buswell.
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 Barlow (then Tracy Lynette 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 has been written out of subsequent continuity.
On March 2, 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 in the wedding reception in the Rovers Return Inn public house on Coronation Street on 8 April 2005, making him the second person to die at that location, the first being Martha Longhurst (13 May 1964). He was 58 years old. Typical of Ray, he ordered a "do-it-yourself" coffin before his death.
