Chuck Woolery was a longtime game show host best known for “Love Connection” and as the original daytime host of “Wheel of Fortune.”
- Died: November 23, 2024 (Who else died on November 23?)
- Details of death: Died in Texas at the age of 83.
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Chuck Woolery’s legacy
Anyone who watched game shows in the 1970s and ‘80s is familiar with Woolery, thanks to his long tenures on “Wheel of Fortune” and “Love Connection,” where his talent for saucy quips and innuendo would be comedy fodder for decades to come.
Woolery began his career in entertainment as a singer and musician, even landing a top 40 hit in 1968 with “Naturally Stoned,” a song by his group, The Avant-Garde. He had several other records with Columbia during this period, but they failed to attain success. He briefly returned to music in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, having minor country hits with “Painted Lady” and “The Greatest Love Affair.”
His name was better known for his work on screen. He tried his hand at acting and landed a few small roles before getting a job hosting a new game show, “Wheel of Fortune,” in 1975. Pat Sajak is the show’s best-known host, but Woolery was its first, helming it for six years, helping make it a success, and being nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for his efforts. He left the show in 1981 after a salary dispute, with Sajak taking over.
In 1983, he took up the mantle on the program for which he is best known: “Love Connection.” For 11 years, Woolery led a show fueled by funny innuendo, oddly matched couples, and audience interaction. The popular program resulted in countless funny moments that now survive as viral internet clips. He simultaneously hosted “Scrabble,” doing double duty as a host from 1984 to 1990, and also briefly hosted “The Dating Game” from 1997 to 1999.
In his later years, Woolery was better known to some viewers as a right-wing radio/podcast host and social media personality who frequently stirred up outrage over his views, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other credits include the short-lived “The Chuck Woolery Show,” “Greed,” and appearances as himself in shows like “Scrubs,” “Melrose Place,” “227,” and “The Cleveland Show.”
Notable quote
“We’ll be back in two minutes and two seconds.” — common commercial-break goodbye on episodes of “Love Connection”
Tributes to Chuck Woolery
Full obituary: NPR
