Chuck Woolery, the first-ever host of Wheel of Fortune, passed away at the age of 83 on November 23, 2024. Wheel of Fortune debuted in 1975 with Woolery introducing the world to what became one of the most iconic TV game shows of all time. Woolery’s time on the show came to an end in 1981 due to a salary dispute and he was replaced by Pat Sajak. However, Woolery went on to host other shows including Love Connection, Scrabble, and Lingo.
Mark Young, who served as Woolery’s cohost on the Blunt Force Truth podcast shared the unfortunate news with AP via email. Young shared that the longtime game show host had passed away in his Texas home with his wife Kristen Woolery by his side. Young wrote: “Chuck was a dear friend and brother and a tremendous man of faith, life will not be the same without him.”
In the email, Young revealed that Woolery had gone to lie down after he wasn’t feeling well. However, he soon came out of his room because he was having trouble breathing. According to Young, his wife called 911 but by the time they came, Woolery had passed away. Young also took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to post photos of Woolery and himself and share how heartbroken he was over the passing of his friend.
‘Love Connection’ Was Chuck Woolery’s Claim to Fame
It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed away. Life will not be the same without him,RIP brother pic.twitter.com/OVPgG195RX
— Dr. Mark Young (@MarkYoungTruth) November 24, 2024
While Woolery was the first person to host Wheel of Fortune, the game show went on to become synonymous with Sajak’s name. However, Woolery’s time on Love Connection is what helped him become a household name. Love Connection premiered back in 1983 and featured single men and women going on dates arranged by the show and then recounting the experience to a live audience. Woolery’s charming personality and his natural ability to connect with the audience is what made the show a massive success in the 80s.
Woolery started hosting Scrabble in 1984, alongside Love Connection. But that wasn’t the end of his career as a game show host. In the late 1990s, he hosted the quiz show Greed and from 2002 to 2007, Woolery hosted the word-guessing game, Lingo. Other than that, he also ventured into hosting talk shows including The Chuck Woolery Show and Home & Family. Woolery also made guest appearances on TV shows including Scrubs, Sister, Sister, and Melrose Place. In 2012, Woolery started hosting a radio commentary show Save Us Chuck Woolery which became a long-form podcast in 2014 and was retitled Blunt Force Truth.
Outside of hosting, Woolery also had a short-lived career in music. In the late 1960s, Woolery was part of a pop music duo called The Avant-Garde, alongside Elkin Fowler, who was also known as Bubba. The duo released three singles including “Naturally Stoned” which reached number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968 and made The Avant-Garde a one-hit-wonder.
Wheel of Fortune Season 42 is currently airing every weekday on ABC. Episodes are also available to watch on YouTube TV in the U.S.
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Wheel of Fortune |
|---|---|
| Host(s) | Chuck Woolery, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, Ryan Seacrest |
| Premiere Date | January 6, 1975 |
| Stream On | Syndication (various networks), available on streaming platforms like Hulu and ABC websites |
| Directed by | Mark Corwin (notable director for multiple seasons) |
| Produced by | Merv Griffin Enterprises, Sony Pictures Television |
| Based On | Original format by Merv Griffin |
| Plot Summary | A word-puzzle game show where contestants spin a wheel to win prizes by solving phrases and puzzles. |
| Musical Elements | Theme music composed by Alan Thicke, later updated over the years |
| Current Status | Ongoing: One of the longest-running game shows, still airing with Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White |
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