Chuck Woolery, former game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble,” has died at the age of 83.
Woolery died at his home in Texas in the presence of his wife, Kristen, his friend and podcast co-host Mark Young told The Associated Press. Along with his wife, Woolery is survived by his sons Michael and Sean and his daughter Melissa.
“Chuck Woolery was without doubt the Real Deal. Our 7 years as the original host and hostess on Wheel of Fortune were like magic,” Susan Stafford, who was Chuck Woolery’s co-host on “Wheel of Fortune,” said in a statement to Fox News.
“Our deep friendship continued after our time on the show,” the statement continued. “He was an original. There was no one like Chuck. He had so much energy and was the same warm caring genuine person offstage as he was on. He was very spiritual and we shared a true love for God which made it even more worthwhile. So grateful to know I will see him again.”
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Woolery was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978.
In 1983, Woolery began an 11-year stint as host of “Love Connection,” during which time he coined the phrase, “We’ll be back in two minutes and two seconds.” In 1984, he began hosting “Scrabble,” simultaneously hosting both game shows until 1990.
Other shows he hosted include “Lingo,” “Greed” and “The Chuck Woolery Show,” as well as the short-lived syndicated revival of “The Dating Game” from 1998 to 2000. In 1992, he played himself in two episodes of “Melrose Place.”
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Woolery was the subject of the Game Show Network’s first attempt at a reality show, “Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned,” which premiered in 2003 and lasted six episodes.
Woolery began his TV career on “Wheel of Fortune,” which debuted Jan. 6, 1975, on NBC.
“Wheel of Fortune” started life as “Shopper’s Bazaar.” After Woolery appeared on “The Merv Griffin Show” singing “Delta Dawn,” Griffin asked that he host the new show with Stafford.
NBC initially passed, but they changed it to “Wheel of Fortune” and were approved. After a few years, Woolery demanded a raise to $500,000 a year, or what host Peter Marshall was making on “Hollywood Squares.” Griffin rejected the request and replaced Woolery with Pat Sajak, who, along with Vanna White, are most commonly associated with the show.
Woolery, who was born in Ashland, Kentucky, served in the U.S. Navy before attending college. He played double bass in a folk trio before starting the psychedelic rock duo, The Avant-Garde, in 1967 while he worked as a truck driver to support himself as a musician.
Following his TV career, Woolery began podcasting. He told The New York Times that he described himself as a gun-rights activist, a conservative-libertarian and constitutionalist, noting that he had not revealed his politics in liberal Hollywood over fear of retribution.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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