LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wink Martindale, the genial host of such hit game shows as “Gambit” and “Tic-Tac-Dough” who also did one of the first recorded television interviews with a young Elvis Presley, has died. He was 91.
Martindale died Tuesday at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, California, according to his publicist Brian Mayes. Martindale had been battling lymphoma for a year.
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FILE - Game show host Wink Martindale smiles for media and supporters after being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, June 2, 2006, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
FILE - Sandy Ferra Martindale, left, and Wink Martindale arrive at the 46th annual Daytime Emmy Awards at the Pasadena Civic Center, May 5, 2019, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Host Wink Martindale indicates a correct answer to a contestant during the taping of the television game show "Debt," in Los Angeles, May 22, 1997. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
FILE - Host Wink Martindale looks at a card during game show, May 22, 1997. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
FILE - Wink Martindale arrives at the International Myeloma Foundation 7th Annual Comedy Celebration at The Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Nov. 9, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
“He was doing pretty well up until a couple weeks ago,” Mayes said by phone from Nashville.
“Gambit” debuted on the same day in September 1972 as “The Price is Right” with Bob Barker and “The Joker’s Wild” with Jack Barry.
“From the day it hit the air, ‘Gambit’ spelled winner, and it taught me a basic tenant of any truly successful game show: KISS! Keep It Simple Stupid,” Martindale wrote in his 2000 memoir “Winking at Life.” “Like playing Old Maids as a kid, everybody knows how to play 21, i.e. blackjack.”
“Gambit” had been beating its competition on NBC and ABC for over two years. But a new show debuted in 1975 on NBC called “Wheel of Fortune.” By December 1976, “Gambit” was off the air and “Wheel of Fortune” became an institution that is still going strong today.
Martindale bounced back in 1978 with “Tic-Tac-Dough,” the classic X’s and O’s game on CBS that ran until 1985.
“Overnight I had gone from the outhouse to the penthouse,” he wrote.
He presided over the 88-game winning streak of Navy Lt. Thom McKee, who earned over $300,000 in cash and prizes that included eight cars, three sailboats and 16 vacation trips. At the time, McKee’s winnings were a record for a game show contestant.
“I love working with contestants, interacting with the audience and to a degree, watching lives change,” Martindale wrote. “Winning a lot of cash can cause that to happen.”
Martindale wrote that producer Dan Enright once told him that in the seven years he hosted “Tic-Tac-Dough” he gave away over $7 million in cash and prizes.
Martindale said his many years as a radio DJ were helpful to him as a game show host because radio calls for constant ad-libs and he learned to handle almost any situation in the spur of the moment. He estimated that he hosted nearly two dozen game shows during his career.
Martindale wrote in his memoir that the question he got asked most often was “Is Wink your real name?” The second was “How did you get into game shows?”
He got his nickname from a childhood friend. Martindale is no relation to University of Michigan defensive coordinator Don Martindale, whose college teammates nicknamed him Wink because of their shared last name.
Born Winston Conrad Martindale on Dec. 4, 1933, in Jackson, Tennessee, he loved radio since childhood and at age 6 would read aloud the contents of advertisements in Life magazine.
He began his career as a disc jockey at age 17 at WPLI in his hometown, earning $25 a week.
After moving to WTJS, he was hired away for double the salary by Jackson’s only other station, WDXI. He next hosted mornings at WHBQ in Memphis while attending Memphis State. He was married and the father of two girls when he graduated in 1957.
Martindale was in the studio, although not working on-air that night, when the first Presley record “That’s All Right” was played on WHBQ on July 8, 1954.
Martindale approached fellow DJ Dewey Phillips, who had given Presley an early break by playing his song, to ask him and Presley to do a joint interview on Martindale’s TV show “Top Ten Dance Party” in 1956. By then, Presley had become a major star and agreed to the appearance.
Martindale and Presley stayed in touch on occasion through the years, and in 1959 he did a trans-Atlantic telephone interview with Presley, who was in the Army in Germany. Martindale’s second wife, Sandy, briefly dated Presley after meeting him on the set of “G.I. Blues” in 1960.
In 1959, Martindale moved to Los Angeles to host a morning show on KHJ. That same year he reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with a cover version of “Deck of Cards,” which sold over 1 million copies. He performed the spoken word wartime story with religious overtones on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
“I could easily have thought, ’Wow, this is easy! I come out here, go on radio and TV, make a record and everybody wants to buy it!” he wrote. “Even if I entertained such thoughts, they soon dissipated. I learned in due time that what had happened to me was far from the ordinary.”
A year later he moved to the morning show at KRLA and to KFWB in 1962. Among his many other radio gigs were two separate stints at KMPC, owned by actor Gene Autry.
His first network hosting job was on NBC’s “What’s This Song?” where he was credited as Win Martindale from 1964-65.
He later hosted two Chuck Barris-produced shows on ABC: “Dream Girl ’67” and “How’s Your Mother-in-Law?” The latter lasted just 13 weeks before being canceled.
“I’ve jokingly said it came and went so fast, it seemed more like 13 minutes!” Martindale wrote, explaining that it was the worst show of his career.
Martindale later hosted a Las Vegas-based revival of “Gambit” from 1980-81.
He formed his own production company, Wink Martindale Enterprises, to develop and produce his own game shows. His first venture was “Headline Chasers,” a coproduction with Merv Griffin that debuted in 1985 and was canceled after one season. His next show, “Bumper Stumpers,” ran on U.S. and Canadian television from 1987-1990.
He hosted “Debt” from 1996-98 on Lifetime cable and “Instant Recall” on GSN in 2010.
Martindale returned to his radio roots in 2012 as host of the nationally syndicated “The 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time.” In 2021, he hosted syndicated program “The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
In 2017, Martindale appeared in a KFC ad campaign with actor Rob Lowe.
He is survived by Sandy, his second wife of 49 years, and children Lisa, Madelyn ad Laura and numerous grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Wink Jr. Martindale's children are from his first marriage which ended in divorce in 1972.
FILE - Game show host Wink Martindale smiles for media and supporters after being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, June 2, 2006, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
FILE - Sandy Ferra Martindale, left, and Wink Martindale arrive at the 46th annual Daytime Emmy Awards at the Pasadena Civic Center, May 5, 2019, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Host Wink Martindale indicates a correct answer to a contestant during the taping of the television game show "Debt," in Los Angeles, May 22, 1997. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
FILE - Host Wink Martindale looks at a card during game show, May 22, 1997. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
FILE - Wink Martindale arrives at the International Myeloma Foundation 7th Annual Comedy Celebration at The Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Nov. 9, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) — The second murder trial of Karen Read, whose case has sparked a national debate on police accountability and won her legions of devoted fans, began Tuesday with opening statements addressing theories about how her Boston police officer boyfriend ended up dead.
Read is accused of striking John O’Keefe with her SUV in 2022 and leaving him to die alone in the snow outside of a house party in the town of Canton, a suburb about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Boston. She has been charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence and leaving the scene.
During the first trial last year, prosecutors said Read intentionally backed into O’Keefe after she dropped him off at a house party and returned hours later to find him dead. The defense said she was a victim of a vast police conspiracy and that O’Keefe was fatally beaten by another law enforcement officer at the party.
A mistrial was declared last year after jurors said they were at an impasse and deliberating further would be futile. A new prosecutor, Hank Brennan, is heading the state's case for the retrial.
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Read’s defense team used its opening statement to describe her as a victim of a cover-up and to stress that she didn’t kill O’Keefe.
“At the end of the day folks, there was no collision with John O’Keefe,” her attorney Alan Jackson said.
Jackson said the case will show that O’Keefe wasn’t hit by Read’s car. He acknowledged that O’Keefe’s death was a “tragic loss,” but said the investigation was corrupted by bias and deceit.
“The evidence in this case will establish ... above everything else three points — there was no collision with Jon O’Keefe. There was no collision. There was no collision,” Jackson said. “John O’Keefe did not die from being hit by a vehicle. The facts will show that. The evidence will show that. The data will show that. The science will show that and the experts will tell you that.”
Read and O’Keefe were headed to the end of their relationship before O’Keefe died, Brennan said.
He described how the couple’s relationship was faltering before O’Keefe died. They were arguments a few days before O’Keefe was killed and that O’Keefe had asked Read to leave, he said.
Brennan said text messages will be presented showing the tension between the couple and how Read would become irate when her calls weren’t returned.
“You will read those text messages and you will realize this was the beginning of the end of this relationship,” he told the jurors.
Brennan told the jury that O’Keefe was a “family man” who was a pillar of his community and was much more than just a police officer.
O’Keefe was a single parent of two children whom he adopted when his sister and her husband died within months of each other, Brennan said. Brennan said he cared for the children as if they were his own and provided them stability and love.
O’Keefe’s tumultuous relationship with Read changed all that, Brennan said.
“They led a good life,” Brennan said. “Enter Karen Read.”
Brennan began opening statements by describing the scene where O’Keefe was found dead.
He opened by describing how firefighters and paramedics got a call about a cardiac arrest. They jumped into the ambulance and headed out in near blizzard conditions. Their ambulance was sliding along the road and they couldn’t hear anything beyond the sound of the siren.
Arriving at 34 Fairview Road, they came upon a chaotic scene.
“He stepped out into bedlam,” Brennan said. “He heard a woman screaming.”
They came upon Karen Read, who he said told paramedics, “I hit him, I hit him.”
“It was at that time in the words of the defendant that she admitted what she had done that night, that she hit John O’Keefe,” Brennan said.
The judge addressed the heavy public interest in the trial before opening statements began.
Judge Beverly Cannone told the jury to ignore public comment about the trial while it is going on. She also told jurors it’s important not to conduct independent research or look at news coverage of the trial.
“You will decide what the facts are, where the evidence is contested, you will determine where the truth lies,” she said. “This trial will be decided by you, an independent jury.”
Cannone also told the jury not to use social media during the trial.
The jurors have entered the courtroom and received their instructions for the trial.
After giving them the instructions, the judge asked if they had refrained from discussing the case or doing any independent research about it.
The court also heard the charges against Read.
Judge Beverly Cannone said she received four motions over the weekend that need to be addressed.
She ruled that the defense can’t mention a consulting firm in their openings, which led the defense to request to be heard. They then entered into a sidebar with the defense arguing the firm should be mentioned.
The courtroom is packed, with little room for anyone other than essential court personnel and media.
The trial seats about 10 people on both sides. Read’s family is on one side and the O’Keefe’s are on the other – about 10 on each side.
Read could be seen chatting and smiling with her attorneys Alan Jackson and David Yannetti. Reporters are behind them, sitting on stools.
Barriers are set up on both sides of the street in front of the building. Several state troopers and police officers are also positioned around the courthouse.
Police ordered a truck driver who slowed down to yell “Free Karen Read” to move along, and also chased off someone who was shooting video with their phone.
Read arrived at court just before 8:50 a.m. to some cheers from assembled supporters.
Family members from both sides also arrived just before 9 a.m.
Read smiled briefly as she entered the court. She did not answer a question about whether she was ready for her second trial.
The court had a police presence to try to maintain order as supporters gathered outside.
Supporters of Karen Read have assembled outside court in advance of her new trial.
The scene among supporters is similar to a reunion, with people hugging one another and calling out their names.
Ashlyn Wade, a Read supporter from Canton, where John O’Keefe was killed, said she was there to hopefully see Read cleared of charges.
“I’m here for justice,” she said. “The murderer going to jail and Karen being Exonerated — that would be justice.”
Dennis Sweeney, dressed as the judge in the case and wearing a pink T-shirt emblazoned with the word “assassin.” which was inspired by Read’s defense team, said he returned for the second trial because: “Karen Read is factually innocent and we want her freed.”
Supporters of Karen Read gather on the steps at Norfolk Superior Court prior to Read's trial, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Supporters of Karen Read gather on the steps at Norfolk Superior Court prior to Read's trial, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Supporters of Karen Read gather outside Norfolk Superior Court prior to Read's trial, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Karen Read arrives with her lead defense attorney Alan Jackson, left, for her trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Prosecutor Hank Brennan arrives for the trial of Karen Read at Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Judge Beverly Cannone listens in Norfolk Superior Court during Karen Read's trial on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (Stuart Cahill /The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
Karen Read and her defense team appear in Norfolk Superior Court on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (Stuart Cahill /The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
Supporters of Karen Read gather on the steps at Norfolk Superior Court prior to Read's trial, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Karen Read arrives with her defense team for her trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Karen Read arrives with her defense team for her trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Karen Read arrives with her defense team for her trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The Karen Read defense team and prosecutor face off in Norfolk Superior Court for final motions before the start of Read's second trial for the 2022 death of her boyfriend John O'Keefe on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Karen Read sits with attorney Victoria George, who was a juror on her first trial and now part of her defense team, during Read's second trial for the 2022 death of her boyfriend John O'Keefe on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Karen Rad listens to prosecutor Hank Brennan during her second trial for the 2022 death of her boyfriend John O'Keefe on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
