LOS ANGELES – Wink Martindale, a legendary figure in American game show history and the charming host of classics like Gambit and Tic-Tac-Dough, died Tuesday at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, California. He was 91.
According to his publicist Brian Mayes, Martindale had been battling lymphoma for the past year.
“He was doing pretty well up until a couple weeks ago,” Mayes said.
A Career Defined by Game Show Greatness
Martindale’s breakout as a game show host began with “Gambit”, which premiered in September 1972, the same day as The Price is Right with Bob Barker. The blackjack-inspired show was an instant hit.
“From the day it hit the air, Gambit spelled winner,” Martindale wrote in his 2000 memoir Winking at Life. “Keep It Simple Stupid — that’s what makes a game show work.”
But in 1975, NBC introduced Wheel of Fortune, which led to Gambit being canceled by December 1976.
Martindale returned with a vengeance in 1978, hosting Tic-Tac-Dough on CBS — a revival of the classic Xs and Os game that would run until 1985. It included the record-breaking 88-game winning streak of Navy Lt. Thom McKee, who took home over $300,000 in cash and prizes.
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From Radio DJ to Television Legend
Born Winston Conrad Martindale on December 4, 1933, in Jackson, Tennessee, Martindale fell in love with radio as a child. At age 6, he would read Life Magazine ads aloud for fun. His broadcasting career began at age 17, earning $25 a week as a DJ at WPLI.
He later worked at WHBQ in Memphis, where he crossed paths with Elvis Presley. Martindale helped arrange one of Presley’s earliest TV interviews in 1956. The two remained in touch, and Martindale later interviewed Elvis via trans-Atlantic phone while the star was serving in the Army in Germany.
Fun fact: Martindale’s second wife, Sandy, briefly dated Elvis after meeting him on the set of G.I. Blues.
A Diverse Media Legacy
Beyond game shows, Martindale charted a hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959 with Deck of Cards, a spoken-word religious tale that reached No. 7. He performed it on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Martindale also hosted dozens of game shows, including:
- What’s This Song? (1964–65)
- Dream Girl ’67 and How’s Your Mother-in-Law? (short-lived Chuck Barris shows)
- A Las Vegas-based Gambit revival (1980–81)
- Debt (1996–98) on Lifetime
- Instant Recall (2010) on GSN
- Bumper Stumpers (1987–1990)
He formed Wink Martindale Enterprises to develop shows, including a partnership with Merv Griffin on Headline Chasers.
Return to Radio and Late-Career Appearances
Martindale never strayed far from his roots. In 2012, he began hosting the syndicated 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time, and in 2021, returned with The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
He even showed his humorous side, appearing in a 2017 KFC ad campaign alongside actor Rob Lowe.
A Life Remembered
Martindale is survived by his wife of 49 years, Sandy, and daughters Lisa, Madelyn, and Laura. He was preceded in death by his son, Wink Jr., from his first marriage, which ended in 1972.
He leaves behind a vast legacy, having hosted nearly two dozen game shows, countless radio hours, and memorable interviews — including one with The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
“I love working with contestants, interacting with the audience, and watching lives change,” he once wrote. “Winning a lot of cash can cause that to happen.”
