RAY
WOOLFENDEN “Cousin
Ray” Woolfenden (born 1916, the former town of
Kopp near Dumfries, VA), who received his nickname
at age five “because everyone in the area was
related” spent over fifty years in radio and
nearly eighty as an entertainer. After performing for
square dances and at his Cousin Ray’s Dance Hall,
he served in the Special Services entertaining troops
in the Pacific Theater during and after World War Two.
Upon his discharge in 1946, he started a Jamboree on
WADC, Akron OH. Wollfenden managed WJWS, South Hill
VA, WXRA, Woodbridge VA (the first all Country FM station
in 1961), WSHB, Raeford NC, WBYB, St. Pauls NC, WQSM,
Fayetteville NC, WAKS, Fuquay Varian NC, WVLY, Water
Valley MS, and WQVA, Quantico VA. In 1964, he was named
Country Music Association D J of the Year while at
WXRA. In 1973, Woolfenden purchased WPWC, Dumfries
VA ,serving the Washington, DC area with Country, bluegrass
and gospel music, and hosted the morning show for more
than twenty five years. He continued to perform, especially
to benefit area charities Ray Wolfenden was inducted
into the Country Music D J Hall of Fame in 1999. Woolfenden
died on April 21, 2000 at the McGuire Veterans Hospital,
Richmond, VA.
