Wink Martindale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wink Martindale
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Martindale in a 1964 publicity photo
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| Born |
Winston Conrad Martindale
December 4, 1933 |
| Died | April 15, 2025 (aged 91) Rancho Mirage, California U.S.
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1951–2025 |
| Spouse(s) |
Madelyn Leech
(m. 1954; div. 1971)Sandy Ferra
(m. 1975) |
| Children | 4 |
Winston Conrad "Wink" Martindale (December 4, 1933 – April 15, 2025) was a famous American disc jockey, radio host, and game show host. He was known for his friendly personality and strong voice. Wink Martindale hosted many popular game shows. These included Gambit (1972–1976, 1980–1981), Tic-Tac-Dough (1978–1985), High Rollers (1987–1988), and Debt (1996–1998). He also ran a YouTube channel called "Wink's Vault" from 2014 until his death.
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Early Life and Voice
Winston Conrad Martindale was born on December 4, 1933, in Jackson, Tennessee. He was the fourth of five children in his family. His mother, Frances Mae, was a homemaker. His father, James, worked as a lumber inspector.
Wink grew up in a simple home. He shared a small house with his parents and four siblings. His family was very religious and went to church often. Wink's mother believed he had a perfect voice to become a minister. However, Wink later realized that he was not called to that path.
He got his nickname "Wink" when he was a child. A friend had trouble saying "Winston," so they shortened it to "Winkie." Later in life, he shortened it again to "Wink."
Career Highlights
Starting in Radio
Wink Martindale began his career as a disc jockey at age 17. His first job was at WPLI in Jackson, Tennessee. He then moved to other radio stations, including WTJS and WDXI. While studying at Memphis State University, he hosted morning shows at WHBQ in Memphis. He earned his science degree in 1957.
On July 10, 1954, Wink was at the WHBQ studio. His colleague, Dewey Phillips, was playing a new song that was getting a lot of attention. This song was "That's All Right" by Elvis Presley. Wink helped arrange an interview with Elvis for the show. Elvis was so nervous that his mother, Gladys Presley, had to bring him to the studio.
In 1959, Wink released a spoken-word song called "Deck of Cards." It became a big hit, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It sold over a million copies. He later worked at several radio stations in Los Angeles, including KHJ, KRLA, and KFWB.
Moving to Television
Wink Martindale first appeared on television at WHBQ-TV in Memphis. He hosted a science-fiction show for children called Mars Patrol. He also hosted a teenage dance show called Dance Party from 1955 to 1959. His friend Elvis Presley even appeared on the show in 1956.
His first game show was What's This Song? on NBC from 1964 to 1965. He later hosted Words and Music, another song-recognition game show. His big break came in 1972 when he became the host of Gambit on CBS. He hosted the show for four years and a revival later on. Wink believed that successful game shows should be simple and easy to understand.
Hosting Tic-Tac-Dough
Wink Martindale is most famous for hosting Tic-Tac-Dough. He started hosting the revived series in 1978 and continued until 1985. This show was one of the most popular game shows of its time.
While hosting Tic-Tac-Dough, Wink decided to start his own production company. He wanted to create and produce his own game shows. His first show was Headline Chasers in 1985. Although he left Tic-Tac-Dough to host it, Headline Chasers was not a big success.
He later created and co-produced a Canadian game show called Bumper Stumpers. This show aired in both America and Canada from 1987 to 1990.
Interactive Game Shows
In the 1990s, Wink Martindale worked with The Family Channel to create "interactive" game shows. These shows allowed viewers at home to play along and win prizes. He hosted four of these shows.
The first was Trivial Pursuit, based on the popular board game. Other shows included Shuffle and Boggle, which were also based on board games. While Trivial Pursuit was popular, the other interactive games were not as successful.
Debt and Later Career
In 1996, Wink Martindale hosted Debt on the Lifetime channel. This quiz show helped contestants pay off their debts. It was very popular on cable television. Wink said the show helped people pay for things they had already bought.
However, Debt was canceled in 1998. One reason was that more men were watching the show than women, and the network's main audience was women. Also, the creators of Jeopardy! sued Debt for having similar questions. This led to changes in how Debt was played, and it lost some of its popularity.
On June 2, 2006, Wink Martindale received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was also inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 2010, he hosted Instant Recall on the Game Show Network (GSN). In 2014, he started his YouTube channel, "Wink's Vault." He uploaded many old game show episodes and clips there. He continued to update the channel until his death.
Wink Martindale also made guest appearances on TV shows and commercials. In 2016, he appeared on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful as a minister. In 2017, he was in a KFC advertisement.
Personal Life
Wink Martindale married Madelyn Leech in 1954, and they had four children. They divorced in 1971. He then married his second wife, Sandy Ferra, in 1975. He even named some of his dogs after game shows he hosted.
Wink was a Christian and appeared on the TV program Praise the Lord. Both Wink and his wife Sandy were friends with Elvis Presley. They shared stories about Elvis on Sirius' Elvis Radio.
Death
Wink Martindale passed away on April 15, 2025, at the age of 91. He died from lymphoma at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California. He had been battling the illness for over a year but chose to keep it private.
