LOS ANGELES Wink Martindale, the affable television personality who hosted beloved game shows such as Gambit and Tic-Tac-Dough, has passed away at the age of 91. Martindale died on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, California, as confirmed by his publicist, Brian Mayes. The game show host had been bravely battling lymphoma for the past year. According to Mayes, Martindale had been relatively well until a few weeks before his passing.

Martindale's career in television began with the debut of Gambit on September 3, 1972, the same day that The Price is Right with Bob Barker and The Jokers Wild with Jack Barry made their first appearances. In his 2000 memoir, Winking at Life, he reflected on the instant popularity of Gambit, stating, From the day it hit the air, Gambit spelled winner, and it taught me a basic tenet of any truly successful game show: KISS! Keep It Simple Stupid. He likened the game's simplicity to a childhood favorite, explaining that everyone could easily grasp the game of blackjack, which was at the heart of Gambit. For over two years, the show outperformed its competitors on both NBC and ABC, making it a staple of daytime television.

However, in 1975, the landscape of game shows changed dramatically with the introduction of Wheel of Fortune on NBC. By December 1976, Gambit was taken off the air, paving the way for Wheel of Fortune to become an enduring fixture in American television culture. Martindale made a strong comeback in 1978 when he began hosting Tic-Tac-Dough, a classic Xs and Os game show on CBS that entertained audiences until 1985. He humorously noted in his memoir, Overnight I had gone from the outhouse to the penthouse, highlighting the drastic turnaround in his career.

During his tenure on Tic-Tac-Dough, Martindale presided over an impressive 88-game winning streak held by Navy Lieutenant Thom McKee. McKee earned over $300,000 in cash and prizes, including eight cars, three sailboats, and 16 vacation trips, setting a precedent for future game show contestants. Martindale cherished his role, stating, I love working with contestants, interacting with the audience and to a degree, watching lives change. Winning a lot of cash can cause that to happen. His influence was significant; he recalled how producer Dan Enright informed him that during his seven years hosting Tic-Tac-Dough, he had given away more than $7 million in prizes.

Martindale's background as a radio DJ proved invaluable in shaping his style as a game show host. The quick-thinking nature of radio, which often required spontaneous ad-libs, prepared him for the unpredictable dynamics of live television. Throughout his illustrious career, he estimated that he hosted nearly two dozen game shows, garnering a dedicated fanbase along the way. One frequently asked question he received was whether Wink was his real name, to which he humorously replied that it was a childhood nickname given by a friend. Its worth noting that he was not related to Don Martindale, the University of Michigan defensive coordinator, despite sharing the same last name.

Wink Martindale was born Winston Conrad Martindale on December 4, 1933, in Jackson, Tennessee. His passion for radio ignited at a young age; he began reading advertisements from Life magazine aloud at just six years old. By the age of 17, he landed his first job as a disc jockey at WPLI in his hometown, earning a modest $25 a week. His talent quickly caught the attention of other stations, leading to a series of jobs that included a lucrative role at WHBQ in Memphis. Martindale was married and the father of two daughters by the time he graduated from Memphis State University in 1957.

Martindale's connection to Elvis Presley is also noteworthy. He was present in the studio when Presley's first single, Thats All Right, was played on WHBQ on July 8, 1954. In 1956, Martindale interviewed Presley during his rise to fame on his TV show Top Ten Dance Party. The two maintained a friendship over the years, and Martindale even conducted a trans-Atlantic telephone interview with Presley while he was serving in the Army in Germany in 1959. Interestingly, Martindale's second wife, Sandy, had briefly dated Presley after meeting him on the set of G.I. Blues in 1960.

In pursuit of greater opportunities, Martindale relocated to Los Angeles in 1959 to host a morning show at KHJ. That same year, he reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with his spoken-word rendition of Deck of Cards, which sold over a million copies. He showcased this piece on The Ed Sullivan Show, an experience that left him in awe of the unexpected trajectory of his career. In 1960, he switched to KRLA and later KFWB, while also hosting various shows across the radio spectrum, including two stints at KMPC, owned by actor Gene Autry. His first network hosting opportunity came on NBCs Whats This Song? where he was credited as Win Martindale from 1964 to 1965.

Martindale continued to work with legendary producer Chuck Barris on two shows for ABC: Dream Girl 67 and Hows Your Mother-in-Law? The latter struggled to find an audience and was canceled after just 13 weeks. Reflecting on the experience, he joked, It seemed more like 13 minutes! He also hosted a Las Vegas revival of Gambit from 1980-81. As a producer, he founded Wink Martindale Enterprises to create and produce his own game shows, starting with Headline Chasers in 1985, and followed by Bumper Stumpers, which aired from 1987 to 1990 in both the U.S. and Canada.

Martindale remained active in the industry, hosting Debt on Lifetime from 1996 to 1998 and Instant Recall on GSN in 2010. He returned to his radio roots in 2012 with The 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time and hosted The History of Rock n Roll in 2021. In a fun twist, he appeared in a KFC advertisement alongside actor Rob Lowe in 2017.

Wink Martindale is survived by his beloved wife of 49 years, Sandy, and his children Lisa, Madelyn, and Laura, along with numerous grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Wink Jr., from his first marriage, which ended in divorce in 1972.