Wink Martindale

Before he was a successful game show host and producer, he was a disc jockey on KFWB radio in Los Angeles, California, in the 1950s.

Ranks third behind Bill Cullen and Tom Kennedy in the number of game shows hosted at 15, but in front of Geoff Edwards , Bob Eubanks and Alex Trebek , breaking that record.

Attended and graduated from North Side High School in Jackson, Tennessee .

Received his Bachelor of Science degree from Memphis State College in Memphis, Tennessee.

Nicknamed "Wink" by a neighborhood buddy. Launched his career in radio as a teenage disc jockey for his Sunday school teachers radio station in Jackson, Tennessee.

Had a hit record in the 1950s with the spoken-word country song, "Deck of Cards".

Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7018 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on June 2, 2006.

Is a huge talk radio fan.

Has the distinction of hosting two longest-running game shows in television history for almost 35 years, one in front of Alex Trebek , the other behind Bob Barker : "Gambit" for five seasons on CBS daytime, and "The New Tic Tac Dough" , for seven of eight seasons on syndication.

Is a huge fan of Tony Bennett s music. In fact, when he was standing in front of a 17-year-old Martindale, after the teenager played the music with Bennetts records, Bennett met him and greeted him with a smile.

Former "The New Tic Tac Dough" producer, Dan Enright asked him to host the pilot of a show that did not sell, after "Headline Chasers" ended.

Had a long-standing friendly feud with Chuck Woolery and Gene Rayburn. Upon Rayburns death late in 1999, he admitted that both Rayburn and Woolery were responsible for his potty-humored nicknamed of "Stink Fartindale," and would always fondly remember their times together.

When "Tic Tac Dough" was revived for a third time in 1990, he understood Patrick Wayne , who watched tapes of Martindales episodes for weeks before he succeeded him as the host.

Left his role as host of "The New Tic Tac Dough" , at the end of the seventh season, to still host and produce his own game shows. That same year, he hosted "Headline Chasers" , which he hosted and created.

Before he was a successful game show host, he was once a soda jerk at a drugstore.

Was one of Jack Barry s and Dan Enright s candidates to host "The New Tic Tac Dough" , he got the job.

Executive Producer of Wink Martindale Enterprises from 1985 to 1993.

At one point, his mother had suggested that he be a preacher, because she felt her son had a calling to the ministry, at a very young age.

Had three biggest winners in his seven years of hosting "The New Tic Tac Dough" : one was Thom McKee, a Navy Lieutenant, who has won $312,700, and ranked as the #1 contestant, a couple of years later was Wilbur Hicks, a coach, who has won $159,600, and was ranked as the #2 best contestant, and Kit Salisbury, a future "Jeopardy!" contestant and future salesman, who has won $199,150, and had finished in second place.

Second-only to "The New Tic Tac Dough" , his other favorite game show was "Debt" .

Is a member of the nominating committee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

Spent a month in Israel and visited the Dead Sea with his wife, Sandy Martindale.

An avid game show watcher, he became a game show host with the help of his idol Bill Cullen.

At Jacksons North Side High School, he played football and basketball for his team.

Father of Lisa, Lynn, Laura, Wink Jr. from his first marriage.

Before he was a successful game show host, he did a Nolans Kitty Shop commercial, where he got paid $25 a week, in Jackson, Tennessee, when he was age 17.

Friends with: Shirley Jones , Florence Henderson , Betty White , Bob Barker , Bob Goen , Bob Eubanks , Alex Trebek , Richard Dawson , Chuck Barris , Bill Cullen , Gene Rayburn , Bill Rafferty , Fred Travalena , Geoff Edwards , Bert Convy , Jack Barry , Dick Clark , Johnny Gilbert , Casey Kasem , Pat Sajak , Pat Finn , Peter Marshall , Tom Kennedy , Monty Hall , Jim Perry , Jim Lange , Chuck Woolery , David Ruprecht , Roger Ebert , Regis Philbin , Joan Rivers , Robert Conrad , Larry Manetti , Michael Landon , Larry Hagman , Michele Lee , Marc Summers , Elaine Stewart , Art Fleming , Pat Boone , Elvis Presley , Barry White and his wife Glodean White.

As a singer, he began his career with Dot Records in 1956.

Best known by the public as the host of "Gambit" , "The New Tic Tac Dough" and "Debt" .

Met fellow game show host, Geoff Edwards , when the two were working at KMPC Radio in Los Angeles, California, prior to becoming a successful game show host in 1975. Among the staff were Gary Owens , Dick Whittinghill , Robert W. Morgan and Sonny Melendrez.

Worked with game show announcer Johnny Gilbert on three game shows: "Words and Music" , "The New Tic Tac Dough" and "Headline Chasers" .

Attended the funeral of his childhood friend Elvis Presley when the singer died in 1977.

Was a celebrity spokesman for Orbitz Worldwide Travel, Inc.

Before he was a successful game show host, he was once a childrens host.

Had always wanted to be a disc jockey when he was age 17.

He was not Merrill Heatter s first choice as host of the revamped version of "High Rollers" in 1987. It was when fellow game show host Alex Trebek was under contract hosting the immensely-popular game show "Jeopardy!" , he was unable to do it, hence, the job was given to Martindale.

The only game show he did not like was "Dream Girl of 67" .

Has a restaurant named after him.

Before Ron Pearson was a comedian, he used to work for Wink in his young career.

Created the popular Canadian game show "Bumper Stumpers" , whose dogs were named after them.

Is a celebrity spokesperson of Dream Factory, an organization that makes dreams come true for critically and chronically sick children.

(April 2005) An interview with him published in Globe magazine places him hosting a radio show from his home in Calabasas, California.

Beat out Geoff Edwards for the hosting job of "The New Tic Tac Dough" .

Is a Republican.

Met fellow game show hosts Bob Barker and Jim Lange , while working in the Chuck Barris Studios, in Los Angeles, California, prior to becoming a game show host in 1967. The other host in the same studio was Bob Eubanks.

Protg of Bill Cullen and Allen Ludden.

GSN honored him as the Most Versatile Host in 2007.

His future wife Sandy Ferra was the ex-girlfriend of Martindales old friend - Elvis Presley.

Had a very close relationship with Jack Barry , while working on "The New Tic Tac Dough" .

Was a huge fan of "Password" , that led him to become a game show host.

Mentor and friends with Ron Pearson , Kurt Engstrom , Marc Summers and Randy West.

Beat out Bob Eubanks for the hosting role of "Gambit" .

Hobbies: reading, listening to radio, traveling, praying, sailing, dining and (of course), playing games.

Met Pat Boone , when he was under contract with Dot Records in 1956.

Attended the 80th birthday of lifelong friend, Pat Boone at the Beverly Hills Hilton, in Beverly Hills, California on June 1, 2014. Among the many attendees are: Larry King , Shirley Jones , Tom Dreesen , Rich Little , Louise DuArt and George Foreman.

Is the youngest of four children of James "Azzie" and Frances Geraldine Martindale.

His birthplace, Jackson, Tennessee, is 88 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee.

Returned to hosting "Instant Recall" , the first game show he has hosted, since the cancelation of "Debt" , 12 years earlier, it was unsuccessful, unlike his many contemporary shows.

Has been living in Calabasas, California, near Mailbu Canyon, since 1991, though the Martindales were lifelong residents of Malibu.

Had once said in an interview that a contestant was required to stay on "The New Tic Tac Dough" , once; but they could stay on until a contestant has lost.

He along with Sandy Martindale appeared on "Tattletales" , in time, after only five months of marriage.

His father used to work for Life magazine and was also a lumber inspector.

Uncle of Courtenay, Edward Jr., Michael and George (from Edwards marriage to Mary Hutcheson Martindale Cokey).

His brother, Edward, spent 18 months at Fort Bragg NC in the 82nd Airborne Division.

Along with fellow game show host Bob Eubanks , Jim Lange , Ben Stein and Peter Marshall , Martindale was one of the hosts featured in the NBC special Most Outrageous Game Show Moments..

Has never retired from hosting game shows or hosting radio shows.

His brother, Edward Leo Martindale, died on March 11, 2003, at age 75.

Like fellow game show hosts Bill Cullen , Gene Rayburn , Geoff Edwards and Bob Barker , Martindale was known to be a very busy television personality.

His father, James "Azzie" Martindale, died in 1969.

Prior to hosting game shows, he also hosted the "Wink and Bill Show" with Bill Smith on KABC Radio.

Had filled in for Fred Roggin on GSN Live while he was on vacation.

Martindales long life has contributed to exercising, taking vitamins, and (of course) genetics.

At age 25, Martindale moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1959, to continue pursuing his career as a radio disc jockey and television personality.

Was a huge fan of "Toast of the Town" , which was hosted by Ed Sullivan. He would later guest-star with Sullivan on the same show.

Before he would become a radio announcer, for real, he used to always rehearse in being a newscaster, when he was a little boy.

Before a handsome young man, Marc Summers would become a successful game show host, he used to work with Martindale, when he was a page for "Gambit" .

Had commuted all the way from his home in Los Angeles, every week, to Las Vegas to do a taping of "Gambit" , for one year, in 1980.

Has hosted "The Music of Your Life", a radio show, where Martindale played music of three decades, from the 1940s to the 1970s.

Was idolized by: Bob Goen , Pat Finn , Wayne Cox , Ron Pearson , Jimmy Pardo , Graham Elwood , Todd Newton , Guy Fieri and Marc Summers.

Began listening to radio, when he was almost 8 years old, at the time, he was listening to soap operas daily on the radio, with his mother, after leaving elementary school.

After Martindale had celebrated his 80th birthday late in 2013, both of his best friends, Jim Lange and Geoff Edwards , died within a week of each other. The most coincidental thing is they both worked at both Barry-Enright Productions and Chuck Barris Productions.

Received the prestigious Diamond Circle award from the beloved Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters on March 27, 2015.

His show "Debt" debuted just one month after the Everett Disaster in 1996.

His show "The New Tic Tac Dough" debuted just one month before Pope John Paul II succeeds Pope Paul VI as the 263rd Pope.

Since 2014, Martindale had started his own YouTube channel, called "Winks Vault," featuring episodes of game shows, game show pilots, rare clips from various game shows, and more.

Unfortunately, despite crazily high ratings, his show, "Debt" , got canceled for the reason that more males were watching the series than females on Lifetime Television.

Had subbed for Tom Kennedy on two episodes of "You Dont Say" .

While attending college, he received several speeding tickets, trying to keep up his busy schedule, rushing between classes at the radio station.

On one episode of "Debt" , Martindales victorious contestant celebrated a $17,394 win by ripping off his toupee, throwing it on the floor, then dancing around the hairpiece.

Bears a slight resemblance to Tom Kennedy , but are not brothers.

Attended the 90th birthday of his longtime friend Peter Marshall on March 30, 2016.

Most of the "Debt" s questions came from Martindales experience in both radio and television.

Attended the funeral of Ed McMahon , when the television personality/announcer passed away on June 29, 2009.

[on getting his first job after graduation from high school]: They gave,me a job at $25 per week, and for that you were expected to do,everything. You read commercials, the news - play-by-play high school,football and basketball, and you played records. If the floor needed,sweeping, you did that too.

[If background puzzles were an asset to the game show strategy]: A,background in puzzles is certainly not a requirement for a contestant.

[Who talked about commuting from Calabasas to Las Vegas doing,"Gambit" (1972) ]: We taped 10 shows in two days every other,week. All of us involved in producing the show flew from L. A. to Las,Vegas. When the last shows were done, we would fly home to L. A. A fun,experience taping a show in Las Vegas.

[on getting a job, when he was 17]: I used to bug the hell out of him to,give me a job.

The industry has changed and now they want comedians doing this job. God,bless them, Drew Carey, Steve Harvey, Wayne Brady, even Jane Lynch have,done wonderful work, but the occupation of a game show host has become,obsolete. Pat (Sajak) and Alex (Trebek) are the last of a dying breed.

A guy like Bill Cullen, heck even myself, would struggle to even be,considered these days.

Most emcees do.

Everybody relates to debt. Well, we all have debt.