History of Wink Martindale in Timeline

Wink Martindale is an American media icon known for his work as a disc jockey, radio personality, game show host, and television producer. He gained significant recognition for hosting several popular game shows, including "Gambit," "Tic-Tac-Dough," "High Rollers," and "Debt." His career spanned decades, making him a familiar face in American households.

December 4, 1933: Wink Martindale's Birth

Winston Conrad "Wink" Martindale was born on December 4, 1933. He would become known for hosting game shows like Gambit, Tic-Tac-Dough, and High Rollers.

July 5, 1954: Recording of "That's All Right"

Elvis Presley recorded his first record, "That's All Right," on July 5, 1954, at Sam Phillips' recording studio. This event would later intertwine with Wink Martindale's experience at WHBQ radio.

July 10, 1954: Witnessing Elvis Presley's Radio Debut

On July 10, 1954, Wink Martindale was present at WHBQ radio station when his colleague, Dewey Phillips, played Elvis Presley's first record, "That's All Right", and conducted Elvis's first radio interview.

1954: Martindale's First Marriage

Wink Martindale married Madelyn Leech in 1954.

June 1956: Elvis Presley Appears on Teenage Dance Party

Wink Martindale hosted Teenage Dance Party on WHBQ-TV, where Elvis Presley made a guest appearance on June 16, 1956.

1957: Graduation and Fraternity Membership

Wink Martindale graduated from Memphis State University with a bachelor of science degree in 1957. During his time at the university, he was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

1959: "Deck of Cards" Success and Move to KHJ

Wink Martindale's "Deck of Cards" reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over a million copies in 1959. That same year, he moved to Los Angeles to become the morning man at radio station KHJ.

1962: Move to KFWB Radio

In 1962, Wink Martindale transitioned to KFWB radio in Los Angeles.

April 1963: "Deck of Cards" Charts in the UK

Wink Martindale's rendition of "Deck of Cards" reached number 5 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1963.

1964: Hosting What's This Song?

Wink Martindale started hosting the NBC game show What's This Song? in 1964, credited as "Win Martindale."

1965: End of What's This Song?

Wink Martindale's run as host of What's This Song? ended in 1965.

1967: Appearance in Philco-Ford Documentary

In 1967, Wink Martindale appeared in a futuristic documentary film produced by the Philco-Ford Corporation, which made predictions about life in 1999.

1968: Stint at KGIL Radio

Wink Martindale began a lengthy stay at KGIL radio in 1968.

1970: Hosting Words and Music

Wink Martindale began hosting Words and Music, another song-recognition game show on NBC, in 1970.

1971: Move to KKGO/KJQI and KMPC Radio

Wink Martindale moved to KKGO/KJQI and Gene Autry's KMPC radio stations in 1971.

1971: End of Words and Music

Wink Martindale's time hosting Words and Music concluded in 1971.

1972: First Major Success with Gambit

In 1972, Wink Martindale landed the emcee position on the new CBS game show, Gambit, which became his first major success in television.

1972: Martindale's First Divorce

Wink Martindale and his first wife, Madelyn Leech, divorced in 1972.

August 2, 1975: Martindale's Second Marriage

Wink Martindale married his second wife, Sandy, on August 2, 1975.

1976: End of Gambit's Original Run

Wink Martindale's time hosting the original run of Gambit came to an end in 1976.

1977: Elvis Presley Tribute Special

Following Elvis Presley's death, Wink Martindale aired a nationwide tribute radio special in his honor in 1977.

1978: Previous "History of Rock 'n' Roll" Production

Gary Theroux, who joined the team for Wink Martindale's 2021 "History of Rock 'n' Roll," previously wrote and produced a 52-hour marathon version in 1978.

1978: Tic-Tac-Dough Hosting Gig

Wink Martindale began hosting the revived Tic-Tac-Dough game show in 1978, which would become one of his most recognizable roles.

1979: End of First Stint at KMPC Radio

Wink Martindale's first stint at KMPC radio came to an end in 1979.

1980: Gambit Revival and Cameo Appearance

Wink Martindale hosted a Las Vegas-based revival of Gambit for 13 months starting in 1980. The same year, he made a cameo appearance in the TV movie The Great American Traffic Jam alongside fellow game show hosts Art James, Jack Clark, and Jim Perry.

1980: Cameo Appearance in The Great American Traffic Jam

Wink Martindale, alongside other game show hosts, made a cameo appearance in the 1980 TV movie The Great American Traffic Jam.

1981: End of Gambit Revival

The Las Vegas-based revival of Gambit, hosted by Wink Martindale, concluded in 1981.

1983: Return to KMPC Radio

Wink Martindale returned to KMPC radio in 1983.

1985: Leaving Tic-Tac-Dough and Launching Headline Chasers

In 1985, Wink Martindale left Tic-Tac-Dough to host his own creation, Headline Chasers, a game show produced in partnership with Merv Griffin.

1986: Launching Wink Martindale Enterprises and Headline Chasers Cancellation

Wink Martindale formed his own production company, Wink Martindale Enterprises, in 1986. His game show, Headline Chasers, was canceled the same year after one season.

1987: Premiere of Bumper Stumpers

The game show Bumper Stumpers, co-created by Wink Martindale, premiered in 1987, airing on both American and Canadian television.

1987: Hosting High Rollers and Launching Bumper Stumpers

Wink Martindale took on the hosting role for a revival of the game show High Rollers in 1987. That same year, he co-created and co-produced the game show Bumper Stumpers, which aired in both the US and Canada.

1987: End of Second Stint at KMPC Radio

Wink Martindale's second stint at KMPC radio concluded in 1987.

1988: Martindale/Gilden Productions Formed

Wink Martindale partnered with Jerry Gilden to form Martindale/Gilden Productions in 1988. The company secured a game show development contract with CBS.

1988: Securing Licensing Rights for Parker Brothers Games

Wink Martindale's production company, Martindale/Gilden Productions, secured licensing rights from Parker Brothers in 1988 to develop game shows based on their properties.

1989: The Wink and Bill Show on KABC

Wink Martindale hosted The Wink and Bill Show on KABC radio in 1989.

1990: End of Bumper Stumpers

Bumper Stumpers, the game show co-created by Wink Martindale, finished its run in 1990.

1990: The Great Getaway Game on Travel Channel

Wink Martindale launched The Great Getaway Game on the Travel Channel in 1990.

June 7, 1993: Premiere of Trivial Pursuit

Wink Martindale hosted the premiere of the interactive game show Trivial Pursuit on The Family Channel on June 7, 1993.

1993: Return to KJQI Radio

Wink Martindale rejoined KJQI radio in 1993.

March 7, 1994: Premiere of Shuffle and Boggle

Two more interactive game shows hosted by Wink Martindale, Shuffle and Boggle, premiered on The Family Channel on March 7, 1994.

June 13, 1994: Premiere of Jumble

The Jumble-based game show, also hosted by Wink Martindale, premiered on The Family Channel on June 13, 1994, replacing Shuffle.

November 18, 1994: End of Boggle

The interactive game show Boggle, hosted by Wink Martindale, ended on November 18, 1994.

December 30, 1994: End of Jumble and Trivial Pursuit

Both Jumble and Trivial Pursuit, hosted by Wink Martindale, aired their final episodes on December 30, 1994.

1994: Departure from KJQI Radio

Wink Martindale's time at KJQI radio ended in 1994.

July 1995: End of Trivial Pursuit Reruns

Reruns of the Wink Martindale-hosted Trivial Pursuit were removed from The Family Channel's schedule in July 1995.

June 1996: Debt Premieres on Lifetime

Wink Martindale began hosting the game show Debt on Lifetime in June 1996, which focused on contestants working to eliminate their debt.

1996: Hosting Debt on Lifetime

Wink Martindale started hosting the quiz show Debt on Lifetime in June 1996, which became the network's highest-rated quiz show.

1996: "Debt" Premieres on Lifetime

Wink Martindale's show "Debt" premiered on Lifetime in 1996.

1998: Debt Cancellation

Despite its popularity, Debt, hosted by Wink Martindale, was canceled in 1998.

1998: "Debt" Ends

Wink Martindale's show "Debt" ended in 1998.

2002: Appearance on Most Outrageous Game Show Moments

Wink Martindale appeared as a featured host on the NBC special Most Outrageous Game Show Moments in 2002.

June 2, 2006: Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

Wink Martindale was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on June 2, 2006.

October 13, 2007: American TV Game Show Hall of Fame Induction

Wink Martindale was among the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas on October 13, 2007.

2007: Martindale's Daily Music of Your Life Show Ends

Wink Martindale's daily three-hour show on the syndicated Music of Your Life format ended in 2007.

2008: Appearances on GSN Live

Throughout 2008, Wink Martindale appeared on GSN Live, an interstitial program, and filled in for Fred Roggin multiple times.

June 2, 2009: Signed with Hit Parade Radio

On June 2, 2009, Wink Martindale signed with the syndicated Hit Parade Radio format.

February 7, 2010: Hit Parade Radio Begins Operations

On February 7, 2010, Hit Parade Radio, with Wink Martindale as the afternoon drive personality, began operation.

March 4, 2010: Instant Recall Premieres

On March 4, 2010, "Instant Recall," hosted by Wink Martindale, premiered on GSN. This was his first time hosting since "Debt" (1996-1998).

June 6, 2010: Hit Parade Radio Ceases Operations

On June 6, 2010, the syndicator for Hit Parade Radio stopped operating.

2012: Martindale Returns to Radio

Wink Martindale returned to radio in 2012 as the host of "The 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time," a nationally syndicated show.

2013: Guest Appearance on The Eric Andre Show

In 2013, Wink Martindale made a guest appearance on "The Eric Andre Show," where he wore a motion-capture suit, sang about the "Jamaican ABCs," and promoted a fictional drinkable mouthwash.

December 2, 2014: Guest Appearance on "The Chase"

On December 2, 2014, Wink Martindale made a guest appearance on GSN's "The Chase," hosted by Brooke Burns and featuring Mark Labbett.

2014: Martindale Starts YouTube Channel

Wink Martindale started his own YouTube channel in 2014, featuring game show content.

October 2016: Appearance on "The Bold and the Beautiful"

In October 2016, Wink Martindale appeared as a minister on the daytime soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful."

April 21, 2017: Appearance in KFC Advertising Campaign

On April 21, 2017, Wink Martindale appeared in a KFC advertising campaign alongside Rob Lowe, who played astronaut Colonel Sanders.

April 4, 2018: Guest Co-Host on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio

On April 4, 2018, Wink Martindale served as a surprise guest co-host on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio's "Three Questions" segment.

January 28, 2021: Martindale Announces "Deal or No Deal" Pilot Upload

On January 28, 2021, Wink Martindale announced he would upload a pilot episode of the ABC version of "Deal or No Deal" to his YouTube channel upon reaching 18,000 subscribers.

June 6, 2021: "The History of Rock 'n' Roll" Premieres

Wink Martindale began hosting the nationally and internationally syndicated "The History of Rock 'n' Roll" on June 6, 2021, a show that looks back on music from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.