Chuck Woolery, original ‘Wheel of Fortune’ host, dead at 83

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Legendary game show host Chuck Woolery, who helped found “Wheel of Fortune” before moving on to such shows as “The Dating Game,” died Saturday. He was 83.

The television icon passed away after experiencing breathing trouble at his home in Texas, Woolery’s friend and podcast co-host Mark Young told TMZ.

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Born in Ashland, Kentucky, on March 6, 1941, Woolery would go on to serve two years in the US Navy on board the USS Enterprise.

After exiting the military, Woolery would attend Morehead State University to study economics and sociology. But he soon dropped out to pursue loftier dreams.

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A multi-talented man, Woolery started his entertainment career as a musician. He played in a folk band, The Bordermen, and the psychedelic-pop group Avant-Garde, before writing several commercial jingles, and even a handful of country music ballads.

With the Avant-Garde, Woolery scored a Billboard Top 40 song with “Naturally Stoned,” in 1968.

Woolery went on to record five records with Columbia and two more with RCA.

Turning to acting, Woolery would appear in several television shows before landing his breakthrough gig in 1975 as the host of “Wheel of Fortune.”

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He held that gig until 1981, when Pat Sajak took over.

Woolery would later host shows like “Love Connection,” “Scrabble,” “Lingo,” a revival of “The Dating Game,” and most recently “80s Quiz Show.”

Woolery was an outspoken political conservative, supporter of the Republican party, and a major First Amendment activist.

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