Wink Martindale, Prolific Game Show Host, Dies at 91

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Wink Martindale, a popular disc jockey who was a close friend of Elvis Presley, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91. He became well-known for hosting various television game shows such as Tic-Tac-Dough, Gambit, and High Rollers.

Martindale died in Rancho Mirage, California, a family spokesperson announced.

Known for his deep, resonant voice, distinctive sports jackets, and most notably, his unique given name, the amiable Martindale stood out.

As a child growing up in Jackson, Tennessee, one of my friends, Jimmy McCord, struggled to pronounce ‘Winston,’ my real name, due to a speech impediment. Instead, he called me ‘Winky.’ When I entered the business world, people shortened it even further to just ‘Wink.’ This nickname has served me well over the years.

Martindale made recordings for Dot Records, where Pat Boone was another artist. His album “Deck of Cards”, released in 1959, sold over a million copies. Additionally, he performed the song “All Love Broke Loose” in the 1958 film “Let’s Rock”.

Sandy, his second spouse whom he married in 1975, had an on-again, off-again relationship with Presley until just before the musician tied the knot with Priscilla Wagner in 1967. Notably, she played a dancer in the films “Viva Las Vegas” (1964) and others featuring Elvis.

In a 2015 interview, she stated that it was Elvis who led her to marry Martindale. She explained that when he mentioned being from Tennessee, she felt he must be a good person since she had such fond feelings for the state due to Elvis being a significant part of her life.

Born on December 4, 1933, in Jackson, Winston Conrad Martindale started his career in radio at the age of 17, working for WPLI, a small radio station with a power output of 250 watts. This opportunity came about through his former Sunday school teacher who was managing the station. He was still a senior in high school and earned $25 per week.

Years rolled by, I took a significant leap, venturing some 90 miles away from home to WHBQ in Memphis. Here, I hosted a lively morning radio show and an after-noon kids TV spectacle known as “Wink Martindale’s Mars Patrol.” It was a thrilling new chapter in my gaming life!

He stated during an interview in 2010 that overnight, he transformed into a well-recognized and respected radio host, and children adored him as if he were a beloved TV star.

It was on a summer night in July 1954 that Martindale found himself back at WHBQ. This is where he facilitated Elvis Presley’s first-ever radio interview, following closely behind the release of his hit single “That’s All Right.

Martindale managed the “Top Ten Dance Party,” a program similar to “American Bandstand,” in Memphis. Landing Elvis on that show was quite an achievement for him. Later, he sought and obtained a transfer to KHJ, which is both radio and television, based in Los Angeles in 1959.

He organized another community dance event, this time at Pacific Ocean Park in Santa Monica, and subsequently served as the daytime host for a period of twelve years on the radio station KMPC, which was owned by Gene Autry, starting from 1971.

In 1965, Martindale expressed his interest in television game show hosting after discovering that Allen Ludden only worked for two days a week, taping five shows at a time, while spending the rest of the week golfing. Inspired by this, he approached his agent, asking to be considered for game show hosting interviews.

Eventually, he found himself on NBC’s “What’s That Song?” (known as Win Martindale), where he spent a year. This was the first of the 20 game shows he hosted, making him second only to Bill Cullen in this regard. He also stayed on “Tic-Tac-Dough” for a decade, created two more shows under producer Chuck Barris (“How’s Your Mother-in-Law?” and “Dream Girl of ’67”), and even produced game shows himself.

For over a decade, Martindale was not only a co-host but also contributed to the production of a local telethon focusing on cerebral palsy in his hometown. In the year 2000, he published an autobiography titled “Winking at Life“. Six years after that, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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2025-04-16 01:24