Ray Lane

Legendary Detroit sports broadcaster Ray Lane died at age 95 this past Saturday (9/27). Lane served as sports anchor and director on Detroit television at WJBK-TV and WKBD-TV, but is best remembered for doing play-by-play with Ernie Harwell on Detroit Tigers radio broadcasts from 1967-72. That came after pairing with George Kell for two seasons of Tigers broadcasts.

During a broadcasting career that lasted more than six decades, Lane also served as a color analyst on Detroit Lions radio broadcasts, called games for Michigan State, Michigan, the University of Detroit and the Cincinnati Reds, provided pre- and postgame reporting for the Detroit Pistons, and was the Detroit Red Wings' TV on-air host for 16 seasons, beginning in 1985, earning the affectionate nickname of ‘Razor.’

In the late '90s and early 2000s, he also filled in on Tiger broadcasts again.

Lane was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and named NSMA Michigan Sportscaster of the Year twice, in both 1969 and 1980.  He was a past president and an honorary lifetime member of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association, which gave him the Ty Tyson Award for Excellence and the Ernie Harwell Lifetime Contribution Award.  In 2005, Lane was inducted into the Michigan Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Lane graduated from Michigan State, where he played baseball while earning a degree in communications.

After briefly playing baseball in the low minors in the Chicago White Sox organization, he worked at radio and TV stations in Cadillac; Waterloo, Iowa; and Saginaw. He started his Detroit career in 1961 as a house announcer at WJBK.

Lane told the Detroit Free Press in 2021 that his favorite job was doing play-by-play for the middle three innings and extra innings in the booth he shared with Ernie Harwell.

He was married 50 years to his Mackenzie High sweetheart, Carolyn (Loose), who died in 2004. He is survived by three children: Greg, Deanne and Jeff, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

A private memorial service will be held, and Ray will be reunited with his beloved wife in Glen Eden Memorial Park, Livonia.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Ray’s name can be made to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan C3 Sports Program.