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Ray Combs

Person Score

 
6.1 Fair
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Biography

Recent Role:
Bill Mock on TRL
Gender:
Male
Born:
4-3-1956
Died:
6-2-1996 (Suicide! He Hanged Himself In A Hospital Closet With His Pillows & Bed Sheets.)
Birthplace:
Hamilton, OH
AKA:
Ray Jr.
Ray Combs was a tremendously talented stand-up comic and game show host.

He worked in Hollywood in the mid-1980s doing audience warm-ups for sitcoms, and he always got big laughs from the crowds. Johnny Carson saw him perform one day and invited him on The Tonight Show.

In 1986, Ray performed a hilarious stand-up routine on The Tonight Show, and the crowd responded with a standing ovation.

Two years later, in 1988, Ray became the host of the Family Feud game show. Ray was an instant hit.

Ray continued to host Family Feud for several







More years; he was doing great professionally, was married, and had six children. Everything was going spectacularly well.

But in 1994, Ray was fired from the Family Feud game show.

Later that year, Ray was almost killed in a serious car accident, and suffered chronic pain for the rest of his life because of the accident.

His finances soon collapsed and he fell deep into debt. Then, Ray and his wife separated, and Ray became deeply depressed.
In 1995, Combs hosted a game show called Family Challenge, but the show never became popular.
Deep in debt, separated from his wife, in constant pain from his car accident, and suffering from depression, Ray was desperate.
One night in 1996, he called his wife and started crying and screaming hysterically. His wife called 911, Ray was brought to the hospital, received treatment, and was released.
As his wife was driving him home from the hospital, Ray, who appeared disoriented, jumped out of the car and ran away.

Later that evening, he showed up at his wife’s house and began bashing his head against the door of the house.

The police were called and Ray was taken to the psychiatric ward of Glendale Adventist Medical Center in Glendale, California.

Ray, now in a state of panic, called his parents from the hospital and told them to come to the hospital immediately. His parents took the next available flight.

But Ray would never see his parents again, because at 4:07AM, on June 2, 1996, Ray hanged himself in his hospital room.

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    10 Perfect
    Another gone but forgotten host! hide show

    Ray Combs seemed to be like a really nice guy and it is a shame that he left us way, way, too soon. Suicide isn't the answers as I found out the hard way. And that you hurt a lot of people in the process when you commit suicide. Ray left behind his ex-wife and six children, plus fans of the show that were devestated about this news of his untimely death. He called me one night back when I was in junior high school. I thought that this was a joke. But my mom got me up and I was half-asleep. I remember that night to this very day. Praying and thoughts still with his family! RIP Ray!

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