Wink Martindale, a well known game show host, radio personality, and TV producer, died on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. He was 91 years old.

Martindale had a career that spanned nearly 75 years as an entertainer and host who did everything from being a radio DJ to hosting popular game shows like Gambit and Tic-Tac-Dough. He was easily recognizable for his stylish sport coats and charming, resonant voice.

Born Winston Martindale on December 4, 1933, in Jackson, Tennessee, he got his first radio job in 1951 when he was just 17 years old. A few years after that, he moved to Memphis to host a morning radio show and the kids afternoon show, Wink Martindale of Mars Patrol. It was during this period that he met Elvis Presley and helped get the up and coming singer to the station for his first radio interview.

Martindale hosted the Top Ten Dance Party in Memphis, where Presley – his new friend and growing star – appeared and gave the show a boost. He was transferred to a station in Los Angeles to host Dance Party in Santa Monica, then he spent 12 years as the midday radio personality for the station.

The first game show he hosted was What’s That Song, which would begin a career of hosting 20 game shows throughout his career. Some of his best known game show hosting gigs included Gambit (1972-1976), Tic-Tac-Dough (1978-1985), High Rollers (1987-1988), and Debt (1996-1998). In addition to being a host, he also produced game shows.

For a decade, Martindale co-hosted and produced a cerebral palsy telethon in his hometown. He wrote his autobiography, Winking at Life, in 2000, and was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.