Winston Conrad “Wink” Martindale, who hosted Tic-Tac-Dough, Gambit, and Excessive Rollers, amongst others, died on the age of 91 in Rancho Mirage, California, on Tuesday, April 15, a spokesperson for his household introduced. No explanation for demise was given.
The assertion mentioned that Martindale was “surrounded by household and his beloved spouse of 49 years, Sandra Martindale,” on the time of his demise. The host was additionally a rock ‘n roll disc jockey, tv producer, and an excellent buddy of Elvis Presley.
About his nickname, Martindale informed ABC Information in 2014, “After I was a child in Jackson, Tennessee, one in every of my playmates, Jimmy McCord, couldn’t say ‘Winston,’ which is my given title. He had a speech obstacle, and it got here out sounding like ‘Winky.’ So Winston became Winky, after which I bought into the enterprise, and Wink it was! It served me nicely.”
Martindale had a 74-year profession. He began out as a DJ on the age of 17 at WPLI in Jackson, Mississippi. His first tv function was on Mars Patrol, a science-fiction-themed youngsters’s tv collection. He additionally recorded his personal songs and performed them on the radio, alongside Presley’s songs.
He started his first recreation present internet hosting gig on What’s That Music?, from 1964 to 1965. In 1972, he took the emcee place on Gambit. Nevertheless, Martindale’s most recognized function is Tic-Tac-Dough, which he hosted from 1978 to 1985. Tic-Tac-Dough is returning to TV for the primary time in 35 years. Throughout that point, he had a cameo look within the 1980 TV film The Nice American Site visitors Jam.
Martindale created his personal manufacturing firm, through which he went on to provide his personal recreation reveals. In 1996, he hosted Lifetime’s highest-rated quiz present, Debt. The present was canceled in 1998, and Martindale didn’t host one other recreation present for a decade.
His final program was the Sport Present Community authentic collection Prompt Recall, which premiered on March 4, 2010. He returned to radio in 2012 and began his personal YouTube channel in 2014.
Within the final decade of his life, he appeared on recreation reveals, cleaning soap operas, and commercials.
Along with Sandra, Martindale is survived by his sister Geraldine, his daughters Lisa, Lyn, and Laura, a big prolonged household of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and his “honorary son” Eric.