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Wink Martindale

michael hagerty

michael hagerty

(Moderators: I'm invoking our understanding that local legends get coverage on boards where their careers were best-known)

So sorry to be the one to report that Wink Martindale is dead at the age of 91 at his home in Rancho Mirage. The Palm Springs Desert Sun newspaper, using a wire story from City News Service, has a rather comprehensive obit that covers the radio stations where Wink worked in Los Angeles:

www.desertsun.com

Longtime TV game show host Wink Martindale dies at 91 in Rancho Mirage

He helmed programs such as “Tic-Tac-Dough,” “High Rollers” and “Trivial Pursuit.”
www.desertsun.com
 
RoddyFreeman said:
Michael, in what year did KFWB go All News? I didn’t realize they still played music in 1967.
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The news format began at 5:00 a.m. on Monday, March 11, 1968. Gene Weed did the final hour of the Top 40 format from 10:00-11:00 p.m. the night before (Sunday, March 10), followed a half hour special called "Flight 98" intended to mark the format switch at 11:00 and a Public Affairs program called "Silhouette" from 11:30-12:00. They were off the air until 5:00 for final preparations.
 
michael hagerty said:
The news format began at 5:00 a.m. on Monday, March 11, 1968. Gene Weed did the final hour of the Top 40 format from 10:00-11:00 p.m. the night before (Sunday, March 10), followed a half hour special called "Flight 98" intended to mark the format switch at 11:00 and a Public Affairs program called "Silhouette" from 11:30-12:00. They were off the air until 5:00 for final preparations.
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"Silhouette" was John Rydgren's show, mixing pop music with religious vignettes. His was the deep voice on ABC-FM's Love format. Sister station WOWO carried the show
 
Wink also had a hit record back in 1959 called DECK OF CARDS, a spoken word, it went to # 7 on the BIllboards HOT 100 chart.

 
alok said:
Wink also had a hit record back in 1959 called DECK OF CARDS, a spoken word, it went to # 7 on the BIllboards HOT 100 chart.

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In one of those great cosmic coincidences, Gary Owens, then at KEWB in Oakland plays "Deck of Cards",calling him "Loveable little Wink Martindale" from "Randy Wood High School" (Randy Wood owned Dot Records, Wink's label).

On the back-announce, Gary tells us it ranks (whatever number) "on our list of the rankest songs of the week".


Wink replaced Gary in morning drive at KFWB, Los Angeles three years later when Gary left for KMPC. And nine years after that, Wink joined KMPC and his show led into Gary's for the next eight years. They also worked together at Saul Levine's KJQI (1260 AM) and on the Music of Your Life satellite service.

"Deck of Cards", by the way, was a cover of a 1948 version by Tex Ritter (father of actor John Ritter and grandfather of actor Jason Ritter):

 
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michael hagerty said:
In one of those great cosmic coincidences, Gary Owens, then at KEWB in Oakland plays "Deck of Cards",calling him "Loveable little Wink Martindale" from "Randy Wood High School" (Randy Wood owned Dot Records, Wink's label).

On the back-announce, Gary tells us it ranks (whatever number) "on our list of the rankest songs of the week".
Click to expand...
In the spring of 1962, Wink announced that he would be leaving KRLA to become Director of A and R at Dot Records. The last few minutes of his farewell show are available on You Tube.....or they used to be. KRLA replaced him in the mornings with Bob Eubanks, who would also become well known as a game show host.
His departure made me very sad, because I used to love his stories about Elvis, Carl Perkins, and all the other luminaries who recorded for Sun Records in Memphis. I was crazy about rock n roll from a very young age.
So a few days before he left, I actually called him one morning while he was on the air. He answered the phone himself, as all the deejays did. I apologized in my tremulous, squeaky little kid voice, ‘’I am so sorry if you already mentioned this, but what does an A and R director actually do? By the way, I will really miss you. ‘’ He laughed and said, ‘’Oh ! That means Artists and Repertoire‘’ I thanked him and hung up quickly, because the song was ending. But I will always remember the smile in his voice. He NEVER had a bad show, because he had so much warmth and sincerity. And to this day, I still remember what A and R means in the music business. ..... Daryl
 
michael hagerty said:
In one of those great cosmic coincidences, Gary Owens, then at KEWB in Oakland plays "Deck of Cards",calling him "Loveable little Wink Martindale" from "Randy Wood High School" (Randy Wood owned Dot Records, Wink's label).
Click to expand...
I met Gary Owens at KMPC in the 70's, he was a great guy. My good friend Richard who I worked with at Channel 17 (my first TV job), in Bakersfield, knew Gary when he was at KEWB in Oakland, Richard grew up in Oakland and got to know ever body at KEWB. Gary encouraged him to get into broadcasting. Richard was an engineer when I met him at Channel 17 but also a "DJ" weekends at KERN 1410 "BakersPatch" (as we who lived there called it).

The visit to KMPC was great, doing it with two other TV/Radio types (friends) & Richard . . . the 4 of us set in on Gary's show one afternoon. It was fun and as I said Gary was a real nice guy.
 
alok said:
I met Gary Owens at KMPC in the 70's, he was a great guy. My good friend Richard who I worked with at Channel 17 (my first TV job), in Bakersfield, knew Gary when he was at KEWB in Oakland, Richard grew up in Oakland and got to know ever body at KEWB. Gary encouraged him to get into broadcasting. Richard was an engineer when I met him at Channel 17 but also a "DJ" weekends at KERN 1410 "BakersPatch" (as we who lived there called it).

The visit to KMPC was great, doing it with two other TV/Radio types (friends) & Richard . . . the 4 of us set in on Gary's show one afternoon. It was fun and as I said Gary was a real nice guy.
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I met Gary in 1979 and then spoke to him again in 2005. I said "You won't remember, but we met..." and then Gary said "Oh, no, Michael. I do remember. It was at the R&R Convention in Century City in '79, and our friend Michael O'Shea introduced us..."

Everyone I've spoken to who met Gary more than once marveled at his memory.
 
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