Chuck Woolery, who helped introduce Wheel of Fortune to American audiences as its first host, died on November 23, 2024.
His friend and podcast partner, Mark Young, shared the news with TMZ, describing a sudden medical emergency.
Young said Woolery had gone to rest after saying he did not feel well.
When he returned, he was having difficulty breathing. Help was summoned, but Young said Woolery died before emergency responders arrived. That account did not establish a medical cause of death.
Born March 16, 1941, in Ashland, Kentucky, Woolery built a career that reached beyond the game-show stage.
He first found success in music with the pop group The Avant-Garde, whose “Naturally Stoned” became a hit in 1968, before pursuing country recordings.
Television later made him a household presence. His passing closed a long chapter in entertainment, leaving viewers with memories of the host who helped launch an enduring television favorite.
