Wink Martindale: 5 Things About the Game Show Host Who Died at 91
Wink Martindale’s legacy touched music, television, and beyond. Find out more about the beloved host and entertainer here.
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Wink Martindale, the beloved game show host and radio personality, died on April 15, 2025, at the age of 91. He passed at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, according to a press release.
Born Winston Conrad Martindale and known widely by his nickname “Wink,” he became a familiar face in American households for decades. Martindale is best remembered for hosting classic game shows like Gambit, Tic-Tac-Dough, High Rollers, and Debt.
MIAMI BEACH, CA – JANUARY 26: Game show host Wink Martindale attends the 31st Annual National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) Convention and Exhibition on January 26, 1994 at Miam Beach Convention Center in Miam Beach, Florida. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)Find out more about the Tennessee native below.
He Gave Elvis Presley His First Radio Interview
Martindale began his career in show business as a disc jockey in his hometown of Jackson, Tennessee, at just 17 years old. He later landed a job at WHBQ radio station in Memphis.
In 1954, while working as a DJ at WHBQ, Martindale witnessed a historic moment when fellow DJ Dewey Phillips played Elvis Presley’s first record, That’s All Right, on air. After continued airplay, they decided to bring the nervous young singer—later known as the “Hound Dog” hitmaker—back to the station.
“He was so nervous about his record being played on the air that he’d gone to the theater,” Martindale recalled in a 2018 interview with the Television Academy Foundation. “They found him sitting there by himself and brought him to the station. Dewey put him in front of a microphone and just started talking to him. So I met Elvis that night. He became my friend and he continued to be my friend until the day he died.”
He Became a Chart-Topping Artist with ‘Deck of Cards’
In 1959, Martindale released a spoken-word rendition of Deck of Cards, a narrative song that told the story of a soldier using playing cards as a Bible. The single became a surprise hit, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and selling over a million copies, earning him a gold disc.
He Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006
Recognized for his decades-long contribution to television and broadcasting, Martindale was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.
Wink Martindale Honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Jesse Grant/WireImage)He Was Married for Nearly 50 Years
Martindale was married to his wife, Sandra “Sandy” Martindale, for 49 years. The couple tied the knot in 1975.
He was previously married to Madelyn Leech from 1954 to 1972, and they had four children together: daughters Lisa, Madelyn, and Laura, and a son, Wink Jr., who sadly preceded him in death.
Wink Martindale’s Cause of Death
Martindale had been privately battling lymphoma for about a year, according to TMZ. The outlet reported on April 15 that, despite doing well for much of that time, his condition worsened roughly two weeks before his death. He was hospitalized for treatment after taking a sudden turn for the worse, his rep Brian Mayes confirmed.
