Chuck Woolery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chuck Woolery
Woolery in 2004
Born	Charles Herbert Woolery (1941-03-16)March 16, 1941 Ashland, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	November 23, 2024(2024-11-23) (aged 83) Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Television host singer actor
Years active	1963–2024
Notable credit(s)	Wheel of Fortune (1975–1981) Scrabble (1984–1990, 1993) Love Connection (1983–1994)
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Margaret Hayes ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1971)​ Jo Ann Pflug ​ ​ (m. 1972; div. 1980)​ Teri Nelson ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 2004)​ Kim Barnes ​ ​ (m. 2006; div. 2016)​
Children	5
Musical career
Genres	Psychedelic pop, country
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Labels	Columbia, Warner, Epic

Charles Herbert Woolery (March 16, 1941 – November 23, 2024) was an American game show host, talk show host, actor, and musician. He was famous for hosting many popular game shows for a long time.

Chuck Woolery was the first host of the daytime Wheel of Fortune from 1975 to 1981. He also hosted Love Connection (1983–1994), Scrabble (1984–1990, and again in 1993), Greed (1999–2000), and Lingo (2002–2007). Besides hosting, Woolery also had a music career. He sang in a pop duo and released country music songs.

Early Life and Navy Service

Charles Herbert Woolery was born in Ashland, Kentucky, on March 16, 1941. His mother, Katherine, was a homemaker, and his father, Dan Woolery, owned a company that sold fountain supplies.

After finishing high school, Chuck Woolery joined the U.S. Navy. He served for two years on a large ship called the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). In 1963, he worked as a wine consultant in Columbus, Ohio.

Chuck Woolery's Career

Music Career Highlights

In the early 1960s, Chuck Woolery began his music career. He sang and played the double bass in a folk music group called The Bordermen. He was also part of a duo called The Avant-Garde with Bubba Fowler. They played a type of music called psychedelic pop.

As a solo singer, Woolery released several songs with different record companies like Columbia, RCA, Warner Bros. Records, and Epic Records. Some of his country songs, like "Painted Lady" and "The Greatest Love Affair," even appeared on the music charts. He also helped write a song called "The Joys of Being a Woman" for country singer Tammy Wynette.

Acting and TV Hosting

Chuck Woolery also worked as an actor. In the mid-1970s, he appeared in the film The Treasure of Jamaica Reef. He also played himself in the 1989 movie Cold Feet.

Kids might remember him as Mr. Dingle on the children's TV show New Zoo Revue in the early 1970s. His first time on a game show was in 1974 on Tattletales.

On January 6, 1975, Chuck Woolery started hosting Wheel of Fortune. The show's creator, Merv Griffin, saw Woolery sing on The Tonight Show and thought he would be a great host. Woolery hosted the show for six years. He left in 1981 after a disagreement about his salary. Pat Sajak then took over as host.

Woolery went on to host many other popular game shows, including:

• Love Connection (1983–1994)
• Scrabble (1984–1990, 1993)
• The Dating Game (1997–1999)
• Greed (1999–2000)
• Lingo (2002–2007)

He also co-hosted Home & Family (1996–1998) and had his own talk show, The Chuck Woolery Show, in 1991. In 2003, he was featured in a short reality television show about his life. More recently, Woolery was part of a four-episode documentary by ABC News called The Game Show Show in 2023. In 2024, he hosted '80s Quiz Show, a game show about trends from the 1980s.

Radio and Podcast Host

From 2012 to 2014, Chuck Woolery hosted a radio show called Save Us Chuck Woolery. This show grew out of his YouTube videos. In 2014, the show became a longer podcast called Blunt Force Truth. On this podcast, Woolery and his co-host Mark Young talked about current events and their conservative political ideas. They often invited special guests to join their discussions.

Personal Life

Chuck Woolery was a Christian and volunteered in his church. He was married four times and had five children. With his first wife, Margaret Hayes, he had two children, Katherine and Chad. Sadly, Chad died in a motorcycle accident in January 1986.

In 1972, he married actress Jo Ann Pflug, and they had a daughter named Melissa. They divorced in 1980. With his third wife, Teri Nelson, he had two sons, Michael and Sean. Teri Nelson is the adopted daughter of actor David Nelson. In 2006, Woolery married Kim Barnes.

Chuck Woolery passed away at his home in Texas on November 23, 2024.

Filmography

Acting

Television/Radio

Discography

Singles

See also

In Spanish: Chuck Woolery para niños

• List of game show hosts