Chuck Woolery, original host of 'Wheel of Fortune,' dies at age 83
The musician, actor and composer died at his home as a result of respiratory problems.
Chuck Woolery (left) presents a program.
The legendary game show host Chuck Woolery, original host and one of the principal creators of The Wheel of Fortune, died Saturday at 83. Mark Young, Woolery's friend and podcast co-host announced the sad news explaining that Woolery passed away at his home as a result of respiratory problems.
"It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother Chuck Woolery has just passed away. Life will not be the same without him, RIP bro," Young posted on X.
A multifaceted career
A true all-rounder, after his stint on Wheel of Fortune, Woolery also hosted dating shows such as Love Connection or The dating game in addition to other shows such as Scrabble, Lingo or, more recently, '80s Quiz Show.
After serving in the Navy, he got his start in show business as a musician. He went on to play and compose in a folk band, The Bordermen, and in the psychedelic pop group Avant-Garde. Woolery's song Naturally Stoned even made the Billboard Top 40 in 1968.
However, he decided to turn his career around and decided to focus on acting. Woolery appeared on several television shows before succeeding in 1975 as host of The Wheel of Fortune.
A lifelong Republican, controversial for his views
An openly conservative Republican, Woolery was also known for his strong advocacy of the First Amendment. This commitment to free speech brought him into the spotlight during the COVID pandemic when he sparked a major controversy by posting on X (formerly Twitter), a post that was later retweeted by Donald Trump.
"The most outrageous lies are the ones about Covid 19. Everyone is lying. The CDC, the media, Democrats, our doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust. I think it's all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I'm sick of it."
Although Woolery deleted his social media accounts out of frustration, he continued to voice his opinions through his platform, Save Us Chuck Woolery. Additionally, he co-hosted a podcast with Young called Blunt Force Truth, where he discussed topics that mattered to him, including the "Woke Takeover in Corporate America" and the "Kamala Harris Presidency Nightmares."
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