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Wink Martindale, the renowned American game show host and DJ, passed away at 91 on Tuesday, April 15. He was married to Sandy Ferra, also known as Sandra Martindale.
His death was announced through a press release on Nashville Publicity Group. The radio personality was surrounded by his family at California’s Rancho Mirage at the time of his passing. The cause of Wink's death was not disclosed in the press release. However, according to Associated Press, Wink was under treatment for lymphoma when he passed away.
His wife, Sandra, and his three daughters, Lisa, Laura, and Lyn, are among his survivors, as stated in the press release. Wink also left behind his "honorary son Eric", "his beloved Chihuahua Dude", his sister Geraldine, and his extended family.
Wink Martindale tied the knot with Sandy in 1975, and they remained married for nearly 50 years until the game show host's death on Tuesday. Wink was previously married to Madelyn Leech from 1954 to 1972. He shared his three daughters and a son, Wink Martindale Jr., with Madelyn.
Not much is known about Madelyn and Wink's married life or the reason behind their split. She reportedly married Fred Jones Dale in 1973, a year after her divorce from the DJ.
Wink Martindale's wife Sandy Ferra dated Elvis Presley before marrying the DJ
Wink Martindale's second wife, Sandy Ferra, credited Elvis Presley for her marriage to the late game show host. According to Elvis Presley Central, when Wink was a morning radio DJ at Memphis station WHBQ, his coworker Dewey Phillips, who had an evening shift, played an Elvis Presley record one night. Addressing the record, Wink later said:
"You could tell that something exciting was going on when the record was played."
Soon after, Wink reached out to Elvis Presley's mother to ask if the singer could visit the radio station. The Can't Help Falling In Love hitmaker joined Wink at his Teenage Dance Party show for his first film interview in June 1956. Wink and Elvis maintained their friendship after their encounter at WHBQ.
In the September 2015 interview with Elvis Presley Central, the late radio DJ's wife, Sandy, who was a dancer, said she began dating Elvis Presley when she was 14. She had memories of her mother joining her first dates with the late singer, which she humored as embarrassing.
Elvis and Sandy's romance seemingly lasted on-and-off for six years prior to the singer's marriage to Priscilla Presley in 1967. However, they remained friends afterward. Sandy also worked in six of Elvis Presley's projects as a dancer. She said during the same interview:
"In Viva Las Vegas that's me with Ann-Margret and Elvis dancing at the roulette table."
When asked about Elvis Presley's contribution to her marriage, Sandy Ferra said:
"First of all, he's responsible for my marrying Wink."
Sandy went on to explain she thought Wink would be a nice guy when she got to know he was from Tennessee. She reasoned:
"Wink is my husband because...my heart was open because of Elvis. So, he was a huge influence in my life."
Not much is known about Wink Martindale's children, Laura, Lyn, Lisa, and Wink Jr.
