Mr Ray, who was the eldest son of comedian Ted Ray, appeared in more than 1,000 radio and television programmes.

He was perhaps best known as a long-serving panellist on BBC2's Face The Music and later went on to become a founder of the Classic FM radio station.

Mr Ray, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He made his London stage debut in The Changeling in 1960 before teaching drama at RADA.

It was also in January of that year that he married actress and Magpie presenter Susan Stranks. The couple have a son, Rupert.

In 1966 Mr Ray left his teaching job in a public protest against the resignation of the principal John Fernald, and re-started his TV and stage career.

Music buff

Face the Music proved so popular that Mr Ray was offered his own quiz - this time on BBC1 - called Music Quiz in the early 1970s.

He also became the first chairman of Call My Bluff.

But in the public's mind he was better known as a music buff; a reputation that proved useful in recent years when he was one of the founders of Classic FM.

He remained music advisor to the station until last year.

At the age of 45 he wrote his first play, Cafe Puccini, which opened at Wyndham's Theatre, London, in 1980.