Broadcasting Icon Wink Martindale Passes at 91.

Legendary radio and television personality Wink Martindale, whose unmistakable voice and on-air charisma made him a household name for more than seven decades, died Tuesday (April 15) in Rancho Mirage, CA. He was 91.

Martindale’s storied career stretched an extraordinary 74 years, beginning in radio at just 17 in his hometown of Jackson, TN. He went on to make history at WHBQ Memphis, where he witnessed the moment that changed popular music forever — the first radio spin of Elvis Presley’s “That’s All Right” by DJ Dewey Phillips. Martindale, who was at the station that night, famously called Presley’s mother to get the young artist down to the studio for what would be his first interview.

While best known to television audiences as the longtime host of game show hits like “Tic-Tac-Dough” and “Gambit,” Martindale’s roots ran deep in radio. After moving to Los Angeles in 1959, he held down morning shifts at top stations, including KHJ, KRLA, KFWB, KMPC, and KABC. He was also heard nationally via syndicated programs like “Hit Parade Radio,” “Music of Your Life,” “100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time,” and “The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

Martindale was also a successful recording artist — his spoken-word single “Deck of Cards” became a surprise hit in 1959, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a gold disc with over one million sales.

He made his first foray into television as host of “Mars Patrol” on WHBQ-TV and went on to front more than a dozen game shows across network and syndicated TV, becoming one of the genre’s most recognized and enduring figures. In 1985, Martindale stepped behind the scenes as well, launching “Headline Chasers” in partnership with Merv Griffin and King World.

Beyond broadcasting, Martindale devoted time to philanthropy, raising funds through high-profile telethons for organizations including St. Jude Children’s Hospital and United Cerebral Palsy.

A series of honors recognized his contribution to media and pop culture: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2006), a Beale Street Note on Memphis’ Walk of Fame (2024), and the University of Memphis Distinguished Alumni Award, among others. He was also one of the inaugural inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame.

Martindale is survived by his wife of 49 years, Sandra, and his extended family.