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Beloved Game Show Icon Wink Martindale Passes Away at 91
LOS ANGELES — Wink Martindale, the affable personality who hosted prominent game shows such as “Gambit” and “Tic-Tac-Dough,” and notably conducted one of the earliest televised interviews with a young Elvis Presley, has died at the age of 91. Remembered as a legendary game show host, Martindale’s career spanned decades, marked by his engaging on-screen presence and numerous contributions to television and radio. His interviews, including the one with Elvis Presley, remain significant moments in pop culture history.
Wink Martindale’s Passing
Martindale died on Tuesday at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, California, according to his publicist, Brian Mayes. He had been undergoing treatment for lymphoma for the past year.
“He had been doing quite well until recent weeks,” Mayes stated in a phone communication from Nashville.
“Gambit” and Game Show Success
“Gambit” premiered in September 1972, coinciding with the debuts of “The Price is Right” with Bob Barker and “The Joker’s Wild” with Jack Barry.
Martindale reflected on the success of “Gambit” and the essence of a winning game show in his 2000 memoir, “Winking at Life,” writing, “From its inception, ‘Gambit’ was a hit, and it taught me a fundamental principle of any truly successful game show: KISS! Keep It Simple Stupid. Like the childhood game of Old Maids, everyone understands how to play 21, or blackjack.”
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“Gambit” outperformed its counterparts on NBC and ABC for over two years. However, the arrival of “Wheel of Fortune” on NBC in 1975 shifted the landscape. By December 1976, “Gambit” concluded its run, while “Wheel of Fortune” solidified its position as a television staple, continuing its enduring legacy.
“Tic-Tac-Dough” and Continued Popularity
Martindale made a successful return in 1978 with “Tic-Tac-Dough,” the classic CBS game show based on tic-tac-toe, which aired until 1985.
“I experienced a rapid reversal of fortune,” he noted about this career resurgence.
During his tenure, he presided over Navy Lt. Thom McKee’s remarkable 88-game winning streak. McKee accumulated over $300,000 in cash and prizes, including multiple cars, sailboats, and vacations. At the time, these winnings represented a record for a game show contestant.
“I find great joy in interacting with contestants and the audience, and witnessing transformative moments,” Martindale expressed. “Significant winnings can indeed alter lives.”
Martindale recalled producer Dan Enright mentioning that during Martindale’s seven years hosting “Tic-Tac-Dough,” over $7 million in cash and prizes were awarded.
Radio Background and Hosting Versatility
Martindale attributed his extensive background as a radio DJ to his success as a game show host. He explained that radio demanded constant improvisation and honed his ability to manage diverse situations spontaneously. He estimated hosting approximately two dozen game shows throughout his career.
In his memoir, Martindale revealed the most frequent questions he encountered were about the authenticity of his nickname, “Wink,” and his journey into game shows.
His nickname originated from a childhood friend. He clarified that he had no familial relation to football coach Don Martindale, who also earned the nickname “Wink” due to their shared surname among college teammates.
Early Life and Radio Career
Born Winston Conrad Martindale on December 4, 1933, in Jackson, Tennessee, he cultivated a passion for radio from a young age. By age six, he would practice his oratory skills by reading aloud advertisements from Life magazine.
He commenced his professional journey as a disc jockey at 17 at WPLI in his hometown, earning $25 per week.
Later, at WTJS, he was recruited by WDXI, Jackson’s other station, for double his salary. He then hosted morning shows at WHBQ in Memphis while attending Memphis State University. He graduated in 1957, already married and a father of two daughters.
Elvis Presley and Memorable Interviews
Martindale was present in the WHBQ studio, though not on-air, on the night of July 8, 1954, when Elvis Presley’s debut record, “That’s All Right,” was first played.
Martindale approached DJ Dewey Phillips, who had given Presley his initial break by playing his music, to arrange a joint interview for Martindale’s TV show “Top Ten Dance Party” in 1956. By this time, Presley’s fame had risen significantly, and he agreed to appear.
Martindale and Presley maintained occasional contact over the years. In 1959, Martindale conducted a trans-Atlantic telephone interview with Presley, who was serving in the Army in Germany. Martindale’s second wife, Sandy, briefly dated Presley after meeting him on the set of “G.I. Blues” in 1960.
Music Career and Move to Los Angeles
In 1959, Martindale relocated to Los Angeles to host a morning show on KHJ. That same year, his cover version of “Deck of Cards,” a spoken-word wartime narrative with religious undertones, reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, selling over a million copies. He performed the song on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
“I could have easily thought success was effortless after my initial experiences in Los Angeles,” he reflected. “However, I soon realized that my early achievements were exceptional and not the norm.”
Continued Radio and Television Ventures
A year later, he transitioned to the morning show at KRLA and then to KFWB in 1962. His extensive radio career also included two separate periods at KMPC, owned by actor Gene Autry.
His debut network hosting role was on NBC’s “What’s This Song?” from 1964-65, where he was credited as Win Martindale.
He later hosted two shows produced by Chuck Barris on ABC: “Dream Girl ’67” and “How’s Your Mother-in-Law?” The latter faced swift cancellation after just 13 weeks.
“I’ve often joked that it was so short-lived, it felt more like 13 minutes!” Martindale quipped, considering it the least successful show of his career.
Martindale later presented a Las Vegas revival of “Gambit” from 1980-81.
Production Ventures and Later Game Shows
He established his own production company, Wink Martindale Enterprises, to create and produce his game shows. His initial project was “Headline Chasers,” a collaboration with Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1985 but lasted only one season. His subsequent show, “Bumper Stumpers,” aired on U.S. and Canadian television from 1987-1990.
He hosted “Debt” from 1996-98 on Lifetime cable and “Instant Recall” on GSN in 2010.
Return to Radio and Final Appearances
Martindale returned to his radio origins in 2012 as the host of the nationally syndicated “The 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time.” In 2021, he hosted the syndicated program “The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
In 2017, Martindale made an appearance in a KFC advertising campaign alongside actor Rob Lowe.
Family and Survivors
He is survived by Sandy, his second wife of 49 years, and his children Lisa, Madelyn, and Laura, as well as numerous grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son, Wink Jr. Martindale’s children are from his first marriage, which ended in divorce in 1972.