Wink Martindale
Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame 2012 inductee Wink Martindale died Tuesday at the age of 91.
Mr. Martindale started his radio career when he was only 17 at WPLI in his hometown of Jackson, Tn.
Mr. Martindale was in the inaugural class that included Luther Masingill, top rated morning radio personality in Chattanooga for over 70 years.
This writer received a congratulation call from Mr. Martindale in 2016 on my being inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame. The surprise call was arranged by Chattanooga’s WDEF TV personality Chip Chapman.
Mr. Martindale began the phone call by asking me how I got started in radio. He was especially interested in my serving at the American Forces Network, Europe in the early 1970s. Mr. Martindale hosted a weekly nostalgic program on the Network entitled, “Those Were the Days.”
Mr. Martindale told this writer about recording his top ten 1959 Gold Record, “Deck of Cards.” In the conversation, Mr. Martindale said while working in West Tennessee he became friends with Randy Wood who owned Dot Records. Mr. Martindale said when he was transferred from Memphis to California, he went to work for KHJ Radio and one morning got a telephone call from Mr. Wood.
Mr. Martindale said he went to Mr. Wood's nearby office and the record executive played him an old 78 r.p.m. of T. Texas Tyler 1940’s recording of “Deck of Cards.” The conversation led to Mr. Martindale’s recording of the talking record. Mr. Wood told him, “It was his style and I want you to record it.”
Mr. Martindale said a few months later Boston DJ Bob Clayton started playing the record and it became a hit across the United States, selling well over a million copies. Mr. Martindale sent this writer a cassette copy of the recording and his new book, “Winking at Life.”
Mr. Chapman said he had several conversations with Mr. Martindale after he was selected for induction into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame. Mr. Chapman said, “We talked a little about Luther, Martindale was a very nice and a polite guy. After our last conversation he said to call him anytime and I did; we talked a lot about radio.”
For several years Mr. Martindale was heard on WDOD AM radio and the “Music of Your Life.” He played excerpts from singer interviews including his conversations with Elvis Presley.
Mr. Martindale loved children and in later years devoted a lot of time to helping St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
Mr. Martindale hosted over 20 game shows, his most famous Tic-Tac-Dough. He also appeared on the CBS TV Ed Sullivan show carried in Chattanooga by Channel 12.
His publicist Brian Mayes said, “Martindale died at the Eisenhower Health Center in Rancho Mirage, Ca. after battling lymphoma for a year.”
Mr. Martindale is survived by his wife of 49 years, Sandra.
In our conversation, Mr. Martindale said, “Radio was special to me and I enjoyed every minute, I’d do it all over if I could.”
Wink and Sandra Martindale