{"id":2950,"date":"2025-04-17T09:06:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T09:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/albotips.com\/?p=2950"},"modified":"2025-04-17T09:06:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T09:06:49","slug":"legendary-game-show-host-wink-martindale-dies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/albotips.com\/?p=2950","title":{"rendered":"Legendary game show host Wink Martindale dies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\" data-start=\"102\" data-end=\"157\"><strong data-start=\"102\" data-end=\"157\">Wink Martindale, Beloved Game Show Host, Dies at 91<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"159\" data-end=\"428\">Wink Martindale, the legendary host of classic game shows like <em data-start=\"222\" data-end=\"237\">Tic-Tac-Dough<\/em> and <em data-start=\"242\" data-end=\"250\">Gambit<\/em>, has passed away at 91 from lymphoma in Rancho Mirage, California. More than a familiar face on TV, Wink was a comforting voice and a source of joy for generations of Americans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"430\" data-end=\"720\">Born Winston Conrad Martindale on December 4, 1933, in Jackson, Tennessee, he began his broadcasting career at 17 as a DJ. His nickname \u201cWink\u201d came from a childhood mispronunciation, and it stuck as he transitioned from radio to television, where his natural charm made him a standout host.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"722\" data-end=\"930\">He got his big break in 1972 with <em data-start=\"756\" data-end=\"764\">Gambit<\/em>, a CBS hit that showcased his warm, engaging style \u2014 a quality that made every show feel personal. Fans also remember him from <em data-start=\"892\" data-end=\"910\">Headline Chasers<\/em> and <em data-start=\"915\" data-end=\"929\">High Rollers<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"932\" data-end=\"1315\">Before fame, Martindale witnessed music history in the making. In 1954, he helped connect Elvis Presley to the world when he brought him into WHBQ for his first live interview \u2014 a moment that launched the King\u2019s career. Elvis remained a close friend, and Wink often praised his quiet generosity. His wife, Sandra, once dated Elvis and credited him for bringing her and Wink together.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1317\" data-end=\"1430\">Even in his later years, Wink stayed active, hosting <em data-start=\"1370\" data-end=\"1400\">The History of Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll<\/em> radio show well into his 80s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1432\" data-end=\"1591\">Martindale is survived by his wife Sandra, daughters Lisa, Lyn, and Laura, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, an \u201chonorary\u201d son Eric, and his Chihuahua, Dude.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1593\" data-end=\"1745\">Wink\u2019s legacy isn\u2019t just in the shows he hosted \u2014 it\u2019s in the hearts of the viewers who felt like they knew him. A true TV icon, he\u2019ll be dearly missed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wink Martindale, Beloved Game Show Host, Dies at 91 Wink Martindale, the legendary host of classic game shows like Tic-Tac-Dough and Gambit, has passed away at 91 from lymphoma in Rancho Mirage, California. More than a familiar face on TV, Wink was a comforting voice and a source of joy for generations of Americans. Born&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/albotips.com\/?p=2950\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;Legendary game show host Wink Martindale dies&rdquo;<\/span> &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/albotips.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/albotips.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/albotips.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/albotips.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/albotips.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2950"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/albotips.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2951,"href":"https:\/\/albotips.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2950\/revisions\/2951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/albotips.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/albotips.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/albotips.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}