Chuck Woolery, Original ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host, Dead at 83

Chuck Woolery, the original host of Wheel of Fortuneis dead. He was 83.

Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife present, his friend and Blunt Force Truth podcast co-host Mark Young confirmed in an email to PEOPLE after first sharing the news with Associated Press Sunday 24 Nov.

“He was a dear friend and brother in Christ and life will not be the same without him,” Young said in an email to PEOPLE.

Young too wrote of Woolery’s passing on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “It is with a broken heart that I tell you my dear brother @chuckwoolery just passed. Life will not be the same without him. RIP bro.”

According to TMZtold Young that Woolery “said he wasn’t feeling well and laid down.” Young claimed that Woolery returned later and mentioned that “he was having trouble breathing” and that 911 was called, but “he didn’t make it.”

Woolen clothing was a TV item for decades. He was the original host of Wheel of Fortunehosted the popular dating show Love connection for over a decade and also hosted shows Scrabble, Greed and Lingo.

He was born in Ashland, Ky., in 1941. Woolery lived with his parents and sister in a two-story clapboard house and told PEOPLE in 1991 that his childhood was “really happy and very simple.” He sang from a young age, and a memorable moment occurred when Woolery — in seventh grade and 6 feet tall — sang Nat King Cole’s “Too Young” during an assembly. “I looked and sounded like a man in front of all these little kids,” he told PEOPLE. “Girls liked me and guys hated me.”

Woolery enrolled at the University of Kentucky in 1960, but after two years he left and entered the Navy, spending two years there. Afterward, he returned to school at Kentucky’s Morehead State University, but left again to pursue music. In Nashville, he and Bubba Fowler – under the name The Avant-Garde – recorded a single, “Naturally Stoned”, which became a Top 40 hit. Later he also released music as a solo artist.

Woolery moved to Los Angeles in 1972 and eventually landed spots The Tonight Show and other programs.

In 1975, producer Merv Griffin hired him to host a new game show called Wheel of Fortune. Originally, the show aired during daytime hours. ”When I came on, I couldn’t stop talking to people,” he said New York Times in 2003 about his hosting style. ”I wanted to know who they were, what they did. I wanted them to win and I became emotionally invested in their victory.”

Woolery hosted until 1982, when he and the producers could not agree on his contract. He was replaced with Pat Sajak. He long regretted his decision to leave the game show. ”If I hadn’t gone Wheel of FortuneI would make about $10 million a year now,” he shared Times in 2003.

In 1983, Woolery began hosting Love connectionwhich was a great success. The show not only set people up on dates, but also followed them during their night out and asked them afterwards how it went. The show was a precursor to the now ubiquitous reality dating genre.

Woolery told PEOPLE in 1986 that while audiences enjoyed watching the contestants find love, “they enjoy the dates that fail even more.” The show was so popular that a young Jim Carrey did an impression of the famous, unforgettable Woolery In Living Color. “Dating and romance are real common denominators,” Woolery reflected to PEOPLE.

During his time at Love connectionWoolery also hosted The big spin and Scrabblebut the dating show was his favorite. “This is really the only show I do that I want to watch at home,” he told PEOPLE. “I really like the unpredictability of it.”

Woolery hosted a short-lived talk show, The Chuck Woolery Showin 1991. Love connection ended in 1994. From 1997 to 1999, Woolery hosted a revival of The dating game. He later hosted Greed and Lingo.

Woolery and his family were the subjects of a short-lived reality show in the 2003s Chuck Woolery: Naturally stoned. He told PEOPLE in 2003: “When they wanted to do this, I thought, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to see my life. But after we got into it, I thought, ‘If it’s funny, they’ll see'”.

Woolery was married several times. From 1963 to 1970 he was married to Margaret Hayes. They shared three children: Cary, Katherine and Chad. Chad died in a motorcycle accident in 1985. He was 19 years old.

“My Christian faith is probably the only thing that got me through this,” Woolery told PEOPLE in 1997 about Chad’s death. “Without the understanding of where Chad is and what I expect in the future, it would have been very difficult. My belief is that he is much better off now than he was then.”

From 1972 to 1980 he was married to actress Jo Ann Pflug. They shared a daughter, Melissa. From 1985 to 2004, he was married to Teri Nelson. They shared sons Michael and Sean. In 2006, he married Kim Barnes.

A Republican, Woolery was vocal in his support of conservative politics, including publicly pushing conspiracy theories about COVID-19.

According to Young, Woolery is survived by his wife, sons Michael and Sean and daughter Melissa.