Popular seafront singer Ray died after heart attack (From Southend Standard)

Popular seafront singer Ray died after heart attack

5:30pm Monday 5th October 2009

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A former black and white minstrel who entertained enthusiastic audiences for decades has died.

Raymond Carter, who would “black up” to do minstrel performances, died aged 79 last Monday, at Southend Hospital.

Mr Carter, of Mendip Crescent, Westcliff, had a massive heart attack the previous Thursday, and was on a life support machine for several days before passing away.

Adopting “blackface” was a once-popular form of entertainment, where white actors would darken their faces to perform songs or theatre in the manner of African-Americans.

Mr Carter would tour old people’s homes and perform at family gatherings, doing solo performances of old Al Jolson songs, as well as Italian-American singer Mario Lanza.

Mr Carter even once had an audition for the Black and White Minstrel Show, a BBC TV show which ran from the 1950s to the 1970s, involving blackface performers.

Another time, he passed an audition for the legendary TV show Opportunity Knocks, but host Hughie Green died just after his audition and his performance was cancelled.

Mr Carter carried on singing until about 15 years ago, mainly in pubs and hotels on Southend seafront, such as the Esplanade pub and the Westcliff Hotel. He even went to the north of England to work.

His son, also called Raymond, 45, said: “Everybody knew him and everybody loved him.

“The audiences couldn’t get enough of him.

“Some of his gigs I would go to, and blacken him up myself.

“He would go to pubs on the seafront and they would start off empty.

“The bar tender would say, ‘Ray, do a little song for us’, and it would soon be a full pub.”

A painter and decorator by trade, Mr Carter was happily married for 57 years to Dorothea, also 79.

They met at the Ivy House, on Southend seafront.

Originally from Reading, he had five children – Gary, Raymond, Carol, Sharon and Jill – 12 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Raymond’s funeral is on Thursday, at 10am at the Sutton Road Cemetery, in Southend. All are welcome.

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