Wink Martindale net worth: A look into beloved game show host’s fortune as he dies at 91

Wink Martindale, 91, passed away in Rancho Mirage, California, on Tuesday, April 15, as per Deadline. According to a family statement given to the outlet:

“[Martindale was] surrounded by family and his beloved wife of 49 years, Sandra Martindale.”

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Wink Martindale accumulated a net worth of $20 million through his decades-long radio and TV career. The veteran radio DJ and TV personality was born in December 1933 as Winston Martindale. He began his career on the radio at 17 at WPLI in his hometown of Jackson, Tennessee. He later moved to WTJS and ultimately joined the Memphis-based WHBQ.

The morning gig at the radio station ultimately led him to a promising talent named Elvis Presley, who later became the King of Rock and Roll. Wink Martindale’s friendship with the music icon lasted until the latter died in 1977. The disc jockey recounted how he found Elvis in an interview with the Television Academy Foundation:

“He [Dewey Phillips] played it once, he played it twice, he played it three times, four times, five times. The listeners just wanted to hear it over and over again. He played it seven times in a row and the name of the song was ‘That's All Right, Mama’ and it was by a truck-driving singer for Crown electric named Elvis Aaron Presley.”

Wink Martindale got the number of Elvis’ parents from Sam Phillips (Sun Records) founder, and discovered that the singer had gone to a theater as he was nervous about his record being played on-air. The radio DJ revealed how Preseley’s first interview happened and added:

“I met Elvis that night. He became my friend and he continued to be my friend until the day he died.”

While Wink Martindale was still a radio announcer/DJ, he diversified his career during the ‘50s. Winston first appeared as the host of Mars Patrol and, in the mid-60s, anchored What’s This Song?

Wink Martindale garnered success as a radio disc jockey and TV game show host

‘What’s This Song?’ was the first game show hosted by the Tennessee native radio DJ. It ultimately paved the way for his success on subsequent TV shows. Wink Martindale hosted Gambit in the ‘70s, Tic-Tac-Dough from the late ‘70s to mid-‘80s, and Debt in the ‘90s. During his TV career, the popular DJ hosted more than 20 game shows while continuing his radio career.

Speaking about the success he got as a game show host, Martindale expressed in a 2017 interview with the Television Academy Foundation:

“A good host is a person who loves people. If you’re a people person, you’re naturally going to be attracted to contestants, and it’s easy for you to be able to interact with those people.”

In the later years of his career, Wink got many accolades, was a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2006), and was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame.

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On the personal front, Martindale fathered four children from his first marriage with Madelyn Leech. Their relationship lasted 18 years and ended in 1972. Winston then married his second wife, Sandra, in 1975.

According to TMZ, Wink had been battling lymphoma for the past year, and his condition worsened two weeks ago. He is survived by his wife Sandra, sister Geraldine, and daughters Lisa, Lyn, and Laura.

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