Wink Martindale Dull: Game-Expose Host Used to be 91

Los Angeles-Wink Martindale, The Genial Host of Such Hit Hit Reveals as “gambit” and “tic-tac-dough” who Also did one in all basically the vital recorded tv interviews with a younger elvis presley, has died. He used to be 91.

Martindale died Tuesday at Eisenhower Properly being in Rancho Mirage, California, Accounting to His Publicist Brian Mayes. Martindale Had Been Struggling with Lymphoma for a 365 days.

“He Used to be Doing Pleasing Properly Up Unil a Couple Weeks Within the past,” Mayes Acknowledged by Mobile phone From Nashville.

“Gambit” Debut on the Linked Day in September 1972 As “The Brand is Appropriate” with Bob Barker and “The Joker’s Wild” with Jack Barry.

“From the day it hit the air, ‘gambit’ spelred winner, and it taght with a general tenant of any in actuality successal sport uncover: Kiss! “Like Playing Venerable Maids As A Kid, Everybody Is aware of How to Play 21, IE Blackjack.”

“Gambit” Had been Beatting Its Competition on NBC and ABC for Over Two Years. But a brand new uncover debut in 1975 on nbc Called “Wheel of Fortune.” By December 1976, “Gambit” used to be off the Air and “Wheel of Fortune” Grew to vary into an Institution is Serene Going Sturdy Right now time.

Martindale Bounched Assist in 1978 with “Tic-Tac-Dough,” The Traditional X’s and O’s Game on CBS that Ran UNIL 1985.

“In a single day of Had long previous from the outhhouse to the penthouse,” he wrote.

He President Over the 88-Game A hit Run of Navy Lt. Thom McKee, who earned over $ 300,000 in money and shops incorporated eight autos, three sailboats and 16 hurry Journeys. At the time, McEe’s Winnings had been a file for a sport Expose Contestant.

“I love working with contestants, interacting with the target market and to a level, watching Lives Change,” Martindale Wrote. “A hit a bunch of money can cause that to open.”

Martindale wrote that producer dan enright once told hym that within the seven years he hosted “tic-tac-dough” gave away over $ 7 million in money and shops.

Martindale Acknowledged His Mary Years as a radio dj precious to him as a sport uncover hosts radio requires Fixed advert-libs and he learned to address any grief within the spur of the moment. He estimated that he hosted virtually two dosen sport Reveals at some level of his profession.

Martindale wrote in his memoir that the query he purchased asced s) of offen used to be “is wink your precise title?” The 2nd Used to be “How Did You Catch Into Game Reveals?”

He purchased his nickname from a childhood excellent friend. (Martindale Is No Relation to University of Michigan Defensive Coordinator Don Martindale, Whose College Teammates Nicknamed HIM WINKUSE OF THEIR SHARED LAST NAME.

Born Winston Conrad Martindale on Dec. 4, 1933, in Jackson, Tennessee, He Loved Radio Sine Childdhood and at Age 6 Waled Read ALOUD The Contents of Ads in Life Magazine.

He started his profession as a disc jockey at age 17 at wpli in his location of birth, incomes $ 25 a weeke

AFTER MOVING TO WTJs, he used to be Employed Away for Double the Wage by Jackson’s Handiest Other Net web page, WDXI. He Subsequent Hosted Mornings at Whbq in Memphis whereas Attending Memphis Explain. He used to be Married and the Father of Two Girls when he graduated in 1957.

Martindale used to be within the studio, Despite the fact that no longer working on-air that night, when basically the vital preslect “That’s all excellent” used to be played on whbq on July 8, 1954.

Martindale Approached Fellow DJ Dewey Phillips, Who Had Given Presley an Early Spoil by Playing His Tune, to Inquire of Him and Presley to a Joint Interview on Martindale TV “High Ten Dance Celebration” in 1956.

Martindale and Presleyed Stayed in Touch on Occoation Through the Years, and in 1959 he did a trans-Atlantic mobile phone interview with Presley, who used to be within the Military in Germany. Martindale’s 2nd Wife, Sandy, Briefly Dated Presley AFTER AFTING HIM ON THE SET OF “GI BLUES” IN 1960.

In 1959, Martindale Moved to Los Angeles to Host a Morning Expose on Khj. That very same 365 days he reached no. 7 on the billboard sizzling 100 chart with a quilt version of “deck of cards,” which sold over 1 million copies. He performed the spoken-attain wartime memoir with non secular overtones on “The ed sullivan uncover.”

“I COULD EASLY HAVE THOUGHT, ‘WOW, THIS IS EASY! I attain out right here, fade on radio and tv, raze a file and everybody needs to aquire it!” He wrote. “Here’s if IF I ENTERTAINED SUCH THOUGHTS, They rapidly dissypated.

A 365 days late he did Moved to the Morning Expose at Krla and to Kfwb in 1962. Among His Many Other Radio Gigs Were Separate Stints at Kmpc, Owned by Actor Gene.

HIS First Community Info superhighway hosting Job used to be on nbc’s “What’s this music?” Where he used to be credited as gain martindale from 1964-65. He Later Hosted Two Chuck Barris-Produced Reveals on ABC: “Dream Lady ’67” and “How’s your mother-in-legislation?” The Latter Laster JUST 13 Weeks earlier than Being Canceled.

“I’ve non -said it came and went so hasty, it seamed more love 13 minutes!” Martindale WROTE, exploining that it used to be the arena uncover of His Occupation.

Martindale Later Hosted a Las Vegas-Essentially basically based Revival of “Gambit” from 1980-81.

He formed His Possess Manufacturing Firm, Wink Martindale Enterprises, to Originate and Develop His Possess Game Reveals. His first mission used to be “Headline Chasers,” a Co-Manufacturing with Merv Griffin that debuted in 1985 and used to be Canceled after one season. His Subsequent Expose, “Bumper Stumpers,” Ran on US and Canadian tv from 1987-1990. He Hosted “Debt” From 1996-98 on Lifetime Cable and “Rapid Recall” on GSN in 2010.

Martindale returned to his radio roots in 2012 as host of the nationwide syndicated “The 100 Biggest Christmas Hits of All Time.” In 2021, he hosted Syndicated program “The Historic previous of Rock ‘N’ Roll.”

In 2017, Martindale appeared in a kfc advert cam

He is Survived by Sandy, His 2nd Wife of 49 Years, and Children Lisa, Madelyn, Laura and Wink Jr. They are from his first marriage which resulted in divorce in 1972.