#WinkMartindale #GameShowLegend #ElvisPresley #TVHost #RadioHistory #TicTacDough #Gambit #EntertainmentHistory
A Television and Radio Pioneer
Wink Martindale, the warm and charismatic host known for his work on classic game shows like Gambit and Tic-Tac-Dough, has passed away at the age of 91. A prominent figure in American entertainment, Martindale also holds a place in music and television history as one of the first TV interviewers of Elvis Presley.
According to his publicist, Martindale died peacefully at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage after a year-long battle with lymphoma. He remained in relatively good health until recent weeks.
A Game Show Legacy
Martindale’s career in television took off with Gambit, which debuted in 1972 alongside The Price is Right and The Joker’s Wild. He credited its success to simplicity, comparing the show’s blackjack-inspired format to playing Old Maid as a child. Despite strong ratings, Gambit eventually lost out to the rise of Wheel of Fortune.
His comeback came in 1978 with Tic-Tac-Dough, a CBS hit that ran until 1985. The show made headlines with Navy Lt. Thom McKee’s record-breaking winning streak, during which he collected over $300,000 in prizes. Martindale reveled in the excitement and personal transformation game shows could bring to contestants, once noting that he gave away over $7 million during his time on Tic-Tac-Dough.
A Radio Foundation
Before dominating television, Martindale made his name in radio. He began as a teenage DJ in Jackson, Tennessee, and moved up to WHBQ in Memphis, where he witnessed the birth of Elvis Presley’s career. In 1956, Martindale hosted a now-legendary interview with Presley on his show Top Ten Dance Party. The two remained in touch over the years, even speaking again during Presley’s time in the Army.
His radio journey brought him to Los Angeles, where he hosted on KHJ, KRLA, and KFWB. Martindale also scored a Billboard hit in 1959 with his spoken-word recording Deck of Cards, which sold over a million copies.
Reinventing Himself
Throughout his career, Martindale hosted nearly two dozen game shows, from What’s This Song? to quirky titles like Dream Girl ’67 and How’s Your Mother-in-Law?, the latter of which he humorously called the worst show of his career. He later revived Gambit in Las Vegas and launched his own production company to develop new content.
His projects included Headline Chasers, a collaboration with Merv Griffin, and Bumper Stumpers, which ran for several years in the U.S. and Canada. Martindale continued to evolve with the times, returning to radio in 2012 with a Christmas music countdown, and later hosting The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in 2021.
A Lasting Impact
In his later years, Martindale even dipped into advertising, appearing in a KFC campaign alongside Rob Lowe. Despite the ever-changing landscape of entertainment, he remained a beloved figure for generations of audiences who grew up watching or listening to him.
Martindale is survived by his second wife Sandy, with whom he shared 49 years of marriage, and four children from his first marriage: Lisa, Madelyn, Laura, and Wink Jr. His legacy lives on in the many lives he touched through television, radio, and beyond.
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