Popular game show host Wink Martindale died at the age of 91
16 april 2025 в 17:37
Wink Martindale, beloved game show host and radio personality, passed away on April 15, 2025 at the age of 91. He died at home in Rancho Mirage, California, according to a press release.
Born Winston Conrad Martindale and widely known as «Wink», - he became a familiar face in American homes for decades. Martindale is best remembered as the host of classic game shows such as Gambit, Tic-Tac-Dough, High Rollers, and Debt.
Learn more about the Tennessee native below.
Martindale began his career in show business as a DJ in his hometown of Jackson, Tennessee, at just 17 years old. He later landed a job at radio station WHBQ in Memphis.
In 1954, while working as a DJ at WHBQ, Martindale witnessed a historic moment when fellow DJ Dewey Phillips first played Elvis Presley’s song «That's All Right» on the air. After playing the song repeatedly, they decided to bring the nervous young singer, later known for the hit «Hound Dog», - back to the station.
«He was so nervous about his record being played on the radio that he went to the theater», - Martindale recalled in a 2018 interview with the Television Academy Foundation. «They found him sitting there alone and brought him to the station. Dewey put him in front of the microphone and started talking to him. So I met Elvis that night. He became my friend and remained my friend until the day he died».
In 1959, Martindale released a spoken-word version of the song «Deck of Cards», - which tells the story of a soldier using playing cards as a Bible. The single became an unexpected hit, reaching number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and selling over a million copies, earning him a gold record.
Recognized for decades of television and radio broadcasting, Martindale was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.
According to TMZ, Martindale had been battling lymphoma for about a year. Despite holding up well for most of the time, his condition deteriorated about two weeks before his death. After a sudden decline in his condition, his representative Brian May confirmed that he had been hospitalized for treatment
Born Winston Conrad Martindale and widely known as «Wink», - he became a familiar face in American homes for decades. Martindale is best remembered as the host of classic game shows such as Gambit, Tic-Tac-Dough, High Rollers, and Debt.
Learn more about the Tennessee native below.
Martindale began his career in show business as a DJ in his hometown of Jackson, Tennessee, at just 17 years old. He later landed a job at radio station WHBQ in Memphis.
In 1954, while working as a DJ at WHBQ, Martindale witnessed a historic moment when fellow DJ Dewey Phillips first played Elvis Presley’s song «That's All Right» on the air. After playing the song repeatedly, they decided to bring the nervous young singer, later known for the hit «Hound Dog», - back to the station.
«He was so nervous about his record being played on the radio that he went to the theater», - Martindale recalled in a 2018 interview with the Television Academy Foundation. «They found him sitting there alone and brought him to the station. Dewey put him in front of the microphone and started talking to him. So I met Elvis that night. He became my friend and remained my friend until the day he died».
In 1959, Martindale released a spoken-word version of the song «Deck of Cards», - which tells the story of a soldier using playing cards as a Bible. The single became an unexpected hit, reaching number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and selling over a million copies, earning him a gold record.
Recognized for decades of television and radio broadcasting, Martindale was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.
According to TMZ, Martindale had been battling lymphoma for about a year. Despite holding up well for most of the time, his condition deteriorated about two weeks before his death. After a sudden decline in his condition, his representative Brian May confirmed that he had been hospitalized for treatment
© Artemenko Olga
