Former “Wheel of Fortune” host Chuck Woolery passed away at the age of 83. He died at his home in Texas on Saturday, November 23, with his wife Kristen Barnes by his side.
Mark Young, his friend and co-host of the “Blunt Force Truth Podcast,” confirmed Woolery’s passing on X (formerly Twitter) the same day, writing, “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.”
Chuck Woolery was the original host of “Wheel of Fortune,” serving from 1975 until a salary dispute in 1981. He sought to increase his annual salary from $65,000 to $500,000, aligning with what other hosts like Richard Dawson and Bob Barker were earning. Merv Griffin, who recommended Woolery for the role, offered $400,000, but when NBC proposed covering the additional $100,000, Griffin threatened to move the show to CBS. NBC then withdrew their offer, Woolery’s contract was not renewed, and Pat Sajak became the new host. Woolery’s final episode aired on December 25, 1981, and he later expressed regret over leaving the show.
Woolery went on to host “Love Connection” for 11 years starting in 1983. On this show, he popularized the “2 and 2” sign-off, saying, “We’ll be back in two minutes and two seconds.”
The following year, Woolery began hosting “Scrabble” and continued to host both “Scrabble” and “Love Connection” until 1990. “Scrabble” was briefly revived in 1993 with Woolery returning as the host. He also hosted “Greed” from 1999 to 2000, “Lingo” from 2002 to 2007, and a revival of “The Dating Game” from 1998 to 2000.
His other credits include “The Chuck Woolery Show,” a few episodes of “Melrose Place,” his own 1991 talk show, and Game Show Network’s first reality show, “Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned,” in 2003.
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
The name “Naturally Stoned” came from Woolery’s 1968 Top 40 hit with the psychedelic pop duo The Avant-Garde. In the 1970s, he released two singles and wrote songs for other artists, including “The Jobs of Being a Woman” for Tammy Wynette.
After his TV and music careers, Woolery became a conservative podcaster, co-hosting the “Blunt Force Truth Podcast” with Mark Young starting in 2014.
Before his death, Woolery was known for his conservative views. In 2019, he posted on X that his support for Donald Trump had ruined his career, stating, “Yes, I have pretty much destroyed my career by openly supporting Trump and letting all know I am a conservative. Painful at times, but true. After all is said and done, it was my choice, and I can live with it. I would do it all again.”
