Broadcaster and writer Ray Taylor, has died at 83 of cancer at the Sacred Heart Hospice in Darlinghurst, Sydney.?He was best known as a presenter on 3AW and ABC Radio as well as co-host of Australia’s first television breakfast show, Channel 7’s Today.

During the 1970s, he also had a successful stint in Hollywood as a television writer for hit shows including Laugh In and the Bill Cosby Show.

After returning to Australia in 1980, he joined Melbourne’s 3AW in 1986 to do a 6pm to 8.30pm shift. Achieving high ratings, he soon moved to Sydney where, despite copping a lifetime ban for making an off joke about the Pope some years earlier, he was welcomed back to 2BL (now ABC702) to do Breakfast. His last broadcast was on December 28, 1990.

Longtime friend and colleague, Peter Wall offers the following tribute…

In 1997 at 2BL ratings had seen the station reach an all time low.

Given the importance of the breakfast shift the appointment of the right presenter was paramount. During a brainstorm with Malcolm Long, the Director Radio at the time, I threw Ray Taylor’s name into the play. Someone had told me he was back in town. I had remembered, as a young man the brilliant ability Ray had demonstrated to entertain the Channel 7 breakfast audience. I figured if he had that ability then there was no reason why he would not have it some years later.

At the time, when you asked anyone who was the last person to do Breakfast they would say Clive Robertson. This is despite the fact that there had been at least six other presenters in the meantime. The point was made that the program needed a unique individual.

Ray was a success…although it wasn’t always smooth sailing. One day during the first month on air David Hill called me to his office and told me to take Ray off the air. I refused, putting my job on the line. The next morning at 0615 Ray said on air “cunnilingus is dark and lonely work…but someone has to do it.”

We survived. In fact some time later when the ratings had improved David stopped me in a hallway and told me that he had been wrong about Ray. And he had been. It was nice of him to say so.

Ray would never do a shift. He would do a show. And every day he would prepare for that show as though he was on Broadway. He was gentle and kind and always a very special showman. His contribution to the world of entertainment both here and abroad (such as his stint as a comedy writer for Laugh-In) was immense.

Eddie Cantor once said to the harmonica player Larry Adler “its better you come of stage with them thinking you are good guy rather than a good harmonica player.” Ray was both.