- Born
- Died
- Born In Orange, New Jersey in 1909. Ray Heatherton's family moved to Floral Park, Long Island, New York, where he made his debut as a vocalist with a jazz band that performed at local functions. He won a radio talent contest sponsored by Atwater Kent Inc. But, he made his professional debut with 'Paul Whiteman''s jazz band on Mr. Whiteman's "Old Gold Show" on The CBS Radio Network. From there, Heatherton performed at The New Amserdam Theater as part of Zigfeld's "Midnight Frollics". He eventually went on to perform in nightclubs, on several radio shows, in Broadway musicals and he cut two kids' records. One of them became the basis for The Merry Mailman (1950) TV show. After his stint in the US Marine Corps, he returned to the USA to host his first TV show: "Heatherton House!" - a weekday morning talk/variety show that aired on WJZ-TV Ch. 7 in New York City during the spring of 1949. But it was his next TV series that made him famous. In 1950, the station execs at WOR-TV invited him to audition for a new kids TV show. He won the audition and when he was asked "What type of character to you want to play on the show?", he decided to use his "Merry Mailman" character. The Merry Mailman (1950) debuted on WOR-TV Ch. 9 in NYC on Monday, October 16, l950. It was seen weekday evenings and afternoons on WOR-TV Ch. 9 in NYC until the show went off the air on Friday, March 22, 1956.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Kevin S.Butler
- SpouseDavenie Jessie Ross Watson(November 25, 1941 - November 21, 1988) (her death, 2 children)
- Children
- Father of Joey Heatherton and former actor/singer/radio DJ and radio/TV director-turned-broadcasting consultant, Dick Heatherton.
- Ray Heatherton served as the sea captain host/performer of a weekend evening edition of WPIX TV Ch. 11 NYC's "Popeye Show". He Mc'd it from Saturday & Sunday 8 & 9 September l956 to Saturday March 29, 1958 and Sunday April 13, 1958. Mr.Heatherton revived "The Merry Mailman" as a weekday afternoon kids TV show - "The Merry Mailman's Funhouse" - on WPIX TV Ch.ll in NYC from Monday September 25, 1961 to Friday May 31, 1963.
- Ray Heatherton also hosted a "Merry Mailman Radio Show", which was heard Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings and Saturday & Sunday afternoons on The Mutual Radio Network and on WOR Radio in NYC from 1953 to 1955.
- Ex-father-in-law of Lance Rentzel.
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