Ray Christensen
Ray Christensen | |
---|---|
Born | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | May 6, 1924
Died | February 5, 2017 Rosemount, Minnesota, U.S. | (aged 92)
Alma mater | University of Minnesota (1949) |
Occupation | Sportscaster |
Years active | 1946–2001 |
Employer | WCCO |
Raymond P. "Ray" Christensen (May 6, 1924 – February 5, 2017) was an American sportscaster who was the play-by-play announcer for the Minnesota Golden Gophers sports teams from 1951 until 2001, working for WCCO in Minneapolis starting in 1963.[1][2]
Christensen was born in 1924 in Minneapolis and attended Roosevelt High School.[3] A 1949 graduate of the University of Minnesota, he also served with the United States Army in World War II. In 2002, he was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame.[4][5] Christensen also worked games for the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, and Minneapolis Lakers. In addition to his sports coverage, Christensen hosted a daily music appreciation segment on WCCO-AM titled "Musing on Music." Christensen would play a brief excerpt of a classical music piece and then report on its history and other musicology. He died on February 5, 2017, at the age of 92 from an upper respiratory infection in Rosemount, Minnesota, where he lived.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ GohpherHole.com (1946-05-01). "Where are they now?: Ray Christensen". Gopherhole.com. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
- ^ startribune.com (2017-02-07). "Famed WCCO sports announcer Ray Christensen dies". startribune.com. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
- ^ http://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/180973/?fullname=ray-christensen Date information sourced from Library of Congress Authorities data, via corresponding WorldCat Identities linked authority file (LAF). (LOC link [1])
- ^ "Ray Christensen". Pavekmuseum.org. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
- ^ "Ray Christensen". Footballfoundation.org. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
- ^ "'I don't think he had any ego.' Colleagues remember Christensen". StarTribune.com. 2009-09-12. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
External links
[edit]- Interview with Ray Christensen about his book Golden Memories, reflections of the Minnesota Gophers, co-authored by Stew Thornley, NORTHERN LIGHTS Minnesota Author Interview TV Series #296 (1994)
- 1924 births
- 2017 deaths
- United States Army personnel of World War II
- American radio sports announcers
- College basketball announcers in the United States
- College football announcers
- Major League Baseball broadcasters
- Minneapolis Lakers announcers
- Minnesota Golden Gophers football
- Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball
- Minnesota Twins announcers
- Minnesota Vikings announcers
- NBA broadcasters
- National Football League announcers
- University of Minnesota alumni
- People from Rosemount, Minnesota
- Military personnel from Minneapolis
- Roosevelt High School (Minnesota) alumni
- American radio people stubs