Chuck Woolery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chuck Woolery
Woolery in 2004
Born	Charles Herbert Woolery (1941-03-16)March 16, 1941 Ashland, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	November 23, 2024(2024-11-23) (aged 83) Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Television host singer actor
Years active	1963–2024
Notable credit(s)	Wheel of Fortune (1975–1981) Scrabble (1984–1990, 1993) Love Connection (1983–1994)
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Margaret Hayes ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1971)​ Jo Ann Pflug ​ ​ (m. 1972; div. 1980)​ Teri Nelson ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 2004)​ Kim Barnes ​ ​ (m. 2006; div. 2016)​
Children	5
Musical career
Genres	Psychedelic pop, country
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Labels	Columbia, Warner, Epic

Charles Herbert Woolery (March 16, 1941 – November 23, 2024) was an American game show host, talk show host, actor and musician. He had long-running tenures hosting several game shows. Woolery was the original host of the original daytime Wheel of Fortune (1975–1981), the original incarnation of Love Connection (1983–1994), Scrabble (1984–1990, and during a brief revival in 1993), Greed on Fox from 1999 to 2000, and Lingo on Game Show Network from 2002 to 2007. Woolery's musical career includes several advertising jingles, a top-40 pop hit with the psychedelic pop duo The Avant-Garde, and a number of country music releases.

Early life

Charles Herbert Woolery was born in Ashland, Kentucky on March 16, 1941, the son of Katherine, a homemaker, and Dan Woolery, who owned a fountain supplies company.

After high school, Woolery served two years in the U.S. Navy, aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). In 1963, Woolery worked as a wine consultant for Wasserstrom Wine and Import Company in Columbus, Ohio.

Career

Music career

In the early 1960s, Woolery sang and played the double bass with a folk song trio called The Bordermen. He also sang in a duo called The Avant-Garde who were in the psychedelic pop genre. The other half of the duo was Bubba Fowler.

As a solo artist, Woolery released five records with Columbia. After 1970, he signed with RCA and released "Forgive My Heart". In 1971, another single "Love Me, Love Me" failed to make any impact. He then turned to acting.

In the late 1970s, Woolery returned to his singing career. Woolery charted on Hot Country Songs with "Painted Lady" and "The Greatest Love Affair". Between 1977 and 1980, Woolery recorded for Warner Bros. Records and Epic Records as a solo artist, with two low-charting singles on Hot Country Songs. Woolery also co-wrote "The Joys of Being a Woman" on Tammy Wynette's 1971 album We Sure Can Love Each Other.

Acting and television show host

As an actor, Woolery appeared with Stephen Boyd, Rosey Grier, and Cheryl Ladd in the mid-1970s film The Treasure of Jamaica Reef. He appeared as himself in the 1989 film Cold Feet that starred Keith Carradine and Rip Torn.

Woolery performed as Mr. Dingle on the children's television series New Zoo Revue in the early 1970s. During that time, he made his first game show appearance on an episode of Tattletales in 1974, alongside then-wife Jo Ann Pflug. Starting as a singer, Woolery appeared on an episode of Your Hit Parade. On January 6, 1975, he began hosting Wheel of Fortune at the suggestion of creator Merv Griffin, who had seen Woolery sing on The Tonight Show. Woolery hosted the show for six years. In 1981, he was involved in a salary dispute with the program's producers; he said in a 2007 interview that he demanded a raise from $65,000 a year to about $500,000 a year because the program was drawing a 44 share at the time, and other hosts (such as Richard Dawson and Bob Barker) were making that much. Griffin offered Woolery $400,000 a year, and NBC offered to pay the additional $100,000, but after Griffin threatened to move the program to CBS, NBC withdrew the offer. Woolery's contract was not renewed and his final episode aired on December 25, 1981. Pat Sajak replaced him.

Woolery hosted Love Connection (1983–1994), The Big Spin (1985), Scrabble (1984–1990, 1993), Home & Family (1996–1998, co-host), The Dating Game (1997–1999), Greed (1999–2000), TV Land Ultimate Fan Search (1999–2000) and Lingo (2002–2007). In addition, he was the subject of a short-lived reality television, Chuck Woolery: Naturally ... (originally titled Chuck Woolery: Behind the Lingo) in 2003. He also hosted his own talk show, The Chuck Woolery Show, which lasted for only a few months in 1991. He hosted The Price Is Right Live! at Harrah's Entertainment casinos, and appeared in the live stage show "$250,000 Game Show Spectacular" at the Westgate Las Vegas until April 2008.

On April 21, 2023, it was announced that Woolery would be featured in an upcoming four-episode documentary by ABC News titled The Game Show Show, covering the history of game shows in America over the last eight decades. The four-part documentary premiered on May 10, 2023. Woolery later hosted '80s Quiz Show, a game show based on trends and norms of the 1980's, which streamed on Fox Nation on June 7, 2024.

Radio and podcast host

From 2012 to 2014, Woolery hosted a nationally syndicated radio commentary show, Save Us Chuck Woolery, which grew out of his YouTube videos. In 2014, the show became a long-format podcast, and was retitled Blunt Force Truth. However, the show can still be heard on about 60 radio stations across the country. With co-host Mark Young, Woolery expands on his conservative political ideals and current events, often inviting guest experts to join the conversation.

Personal life

Woolery was a Christian who volunteered in ministry. He had been married four times and was the father of five children. Woolery and his first wife, Margaret Hayes, had two children together, Katherine and Chad. Chad was killed in a motorcycle accident in January 1986. In 1972, he married actress Jo Ann Pflug and they divorced in 1980. They had a daughter together, Melissa. With third wife Teri Nelson, who is the adopted daughter of actor David Nelson and granddaughter of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, he had two sons, Michael and Sean. In 2006, Woolery married Kim Barnes.

Woolery died at his home in Texas on November 23, 2024.

Filmography

Acting

Television/radio

Discography

Singles

See also

In Spanish: Chuck Woolery para niños

• List of game show hosts