Chuck Woolery, the pioneering game show host who launched "Wheel of Fortune" and later became the beloved face of "Love Connection," passed away on Saturday at his home in Texas. He was 83.
His death was announced by his friend and podcast co-host Mark Young on social media platform X. Young later shared that Woolery experienced breathing difficulties before his passing.
Woolery's entertainment career began as a singer in the pop band The Avant-Garde, scoring a Billboard Hot 100 hit with "Naturally Stoned" in 1968. His path to game show stardom started after performing on The Merv Griffin Show, where Griffin offered him an audition for a new show that would become "Wheel of Fortune."
In 1975, Woolery made television history as the original host of "Wheel of Fortune," a role he held until 1981. His departure came after salary negotiations with Griffin fell through, leading to Pat Sajak taking over the position.
Woolery went on to achieve greater success hosting "Love Connection" from 1983 to 1994, presiding over more than 2,000 episodes. The dating show became a cultural phenomenon, with Woolery's signature "two and two" catchphrase - referring to commercial break lengths - becoming part of television history.
Throughout his career, Woolery hosted several other game shows including "Scrabble," "Greed," and "Lingo." In his later years, he ventured into radio and podcasting with "Save Us Chuck Woolery" and "Blunt Force Truth."
Born on March 16, 1941, in Ashland, Kentucky, Woolery served in the U.S. Navy and attended both the University of Kentucky and Morehead State University before pursuing entertainment.
He is survived by his wife Kim Barnes, whom he married in 2006, and his children Katherine, Melissa, Michael, and Sean. The specific cause of death has not been disclosed.