Wink Martindale, one among TV’s most beloved sport present hosts whose title turned nearly synonymous with the occupation, died at present in Rancho Mirage, California. He was 91.
His loss of life was introduced by a spokesperson for Martindale’s household. Although no trigger was given, the assertion mentioned the host of such traditional sport exhibits as Tic-Tac-Dough and Gambit was “surrounded by household and his beloved spouse of 49 years, Sandra Martindale.”
Over a 74-year profession in radio and tv, Winston Conrad “Wink” Martindale was born in Jackson, Tennessee on December 4, 1933. He launched his profession as a disc jockey in Jackson on the age of 17, then rising by way of the ranks at Memphis’ WHBQ, the place, in line with his household, on the night of July 10, 1954, fellow DJ Dewey Phillips performed Elvis Presley’s very first file, “That’s All Proper,” on the radio for the very first time, enjoying the tune repeatedly whereas Martindale phoned Presley’s mom and requested if Elvis might come right down to the radio station.
“Elvis quickly arrived at WHBQ for his first interview, and music was modified eternally,” the household assertion reads.
Martindale additionally discovered his personal success as a recording artist, performing the spoken-word music “Deck of Playing cards” in 1959, a monitor that went to #7 on the Billboard Scorching 100 chart and #5 on the UK Singles Chart and offered over a million copies.
Later that yr, Martindale moved to Los Angeles because the morning host of radio station KHJ. The next yr he joined the morning crew at KRLA and at last moved to KFWB in 1962. He additionally had prolonged stays at KGIL-AM from 1968-1971, KKGO-FM/KJQI and Gene Autry’s KMPC from 1971-1979 and 1983-1987, KABC in 1989 and KJQI from 1993-1994.
His further radio credit embrace Hit Parade Radio and the syndicated packages Music of Your Life, 100 Best Christmas Hits of All Time, The Historical past of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and up to date recurring appearances on The Howard Stern Present.
Whereas he first discovered success in radio, the good-looking Martindale discovered wider, nationwide fame on tv. Earlier in Memphis, he’d hosted a science fiction-themed children sequence referred to as Mars Patrol, after which hosted Teenage Dance Social gathering, the place his new good friend Presley made an look on June 16, 1956.
Nevertheless it wasn’t till 1964, when he landed his first game-show internet hosting job on NBC’s What’s This Tune?, that Martindale discovered his area of interest. He adopted the musical-contest present with NBC’s Phrases and Music, CBS’ Gambit, and his largest success Tic-Tac-Dough. Martindale additionally went on to host such well-liked sport exhibits as Headline Chasers, Excessive Rollers, The Final Phrase, The Nice Getaway Sport, Trivial Pursuit, Debt, On the spot Recall, and plenty of extra.
Lately, Martindale made appearances on such packages as Most Outrageous Sport Present Moments, The Chase, and The Daring and the Stunning, and appeared in commercials for Orbitz, KFC (alongside Rob Lowe) and extra.
In 1985, Martindale turned a producer with the launch of the TV sport present Headline Chasers, produced in affiliation with Merv Griffin and syndication big, King World.
Martindale additionally supported quite a few causes and produced and hosted annual telethons for Cerebral Palsy and St. Jude Youngsters’s Hospital, amongst different charities.
In 2006, he acquired a star on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame, and in 2024, he was honored with a Beale Road Observe on Memphis, Tennessee’s Beale Road Stroll of Fame – not removed from the place in 2015, he was offered with the Distinguished Alumni Award by his alma mater, the College of Memphis. He was additionally one of many first inductees into the American TV Sport Present Corridor of Fame.
Along with his spouse, Martindale is survived by sister Geraldine, daughters Lisa, Lyn and Laura and a big prolonged household of grandchildren and nice grandchildren, and his “honorary son” Eric.
