Longtime DJ, radio personality and television game show host Wink Martindale passed away Tuesday in California.
Martindale died in Rancho Mirage at the age of 91.
He was born Winston Conrad Martindale in Jackson, Tennessee, and began his career as a DJ at the age of 17 at WPLI in Jackson.
While attending college at Memphis State University, Martindale hosted mornings at WHBQ in Memphis, and later became the morning man in Los Angeles at KHJ, KRLA and KFWB.
Martindale’s run in radio in Los Angeles began in 1959 and continued into the 1990’s.
During his time at WHBQ in Memphis, Martindale hosted Teenage Dance Party, where his future friend Elvis Presley made an appearance in 1959.
He later became a TV game show host, and in the 2000’s had a three hour daily syndicated show “Music of Your Life” and his “100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time”.
