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Wink Martindale, a pioneer of game show frontmen and the host of “Tic-Tac-Dough,” “Gambit” and “High Rollers,” died Tuesday. He was 91.
The news was confirmed through his official Facebook page. In a post sharing an obituary for Martindale, the page wrote, “It’s with a very sad and heavy heart that we here at Wink Martindale Games have to report the passing of the legendary Wink Martindale. Wink was amazing, funny and talented. Truly a LEGEND! More to come soon.”
Martindale spent 74 years in the radio and television business, starting his career at 17 as a DJ before making a name for himself at Memphis-based station WHBQ. Famosuly, in 1954, DJ Dewey Phillips aired Elvis Presley’s debut record, “That’s All Right” for the first time. Upon hearing the track, Martindale called Presley’s mother to see if he could come to his station for a chat. The conversation is thought to be instrumental in launching the career of a young Presley.
Martindale himself released a number of successful records, including the spoken-word track “Deck of Cards,” which peaked at seventh on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold more than one million copies.
In the early 60s, Martindale moved to Los Angeles and became a host for KHJ. He would go on to work for several stations in the greater L.A. area, including KRLA, KFBW, KGIL-AM and KMPC.
In 1964, he landed his first gig as a game show host on “What’s This Song?” He would later move on to shows like “Gambit,” “Words and Music” and “Tic-Tac-Dough.” His other hosting credits include “The Last Word,” “The Great Getaway Game,” “Trivial Pursuit,” “Headline Chasers” and more.
