As Ryan Seacrest takes the helm for Season 42 of "Wheel of Fortune," he's stepping into some legendary shoes. Pat Sajak's retirement after four decades marked the end of an era that defined game show history. But before Ryan, before Pat's 40-year reign, there was another host who first asked contestants if they'd like to buy a vowel. So who originally stood by that famous wheel back in 1975?

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The answer is: Chuck Woolery

Chuck Woolery wasn't supposed to be a game show host. The Kentucky native was chasing rock star dreams with his psychedelic band Avant-Garde when their one hit, "Naturally Stoned," peaked at #40 on the Billboard charts. But fate had different plans for the velvet-voiced singer – plans that involved a wall of letters and a very big wheel.

In 1975, television producer Merv Griffin, already riding high with "Jeopardy!", had a new idea brewing. He'd been inspired by Hangman, that simple pencil-and-paper game that's tortured countless children on long car rides. Griffin wondered: What if you added a carnival wheel and some shopping? The result was "Wheel of Fortune," and Chuck Woolery became its first master of ceremonies.

The original "Wheel" looks nothing like today's slick production. Winners couldn't just pocket their cash – they had to spend it in an on-set prize gallery that looked like The Price is Right had a garage sale. Contestants faced the eternal dilemma: splurge on a ceramic Dalmatian (bizarrely popular in the show's early days) or hold out for that avocado-colored refrigerator? Woolery's "we'll be back in 2 and 2" catchphrase became as much a part of the show as the wheel itself.

But in 1981, salary negotiations hit a wall. Woolery, making $65,000, asked for a raise to $500,000. NBC offered to split the difference, but Griffin wasn't playing. Enter Pat Sajak, a weatherman from Nashville who'd never hosted a game show but was willing to work for less.

Woolery bounced back with "Love Connection," where he spent the '80s playing matchmaker to America. Today, as Ryan Seacrest takes the helm for Season 42, following Pat Sajak's 40-year run, it's worth remembering the Kentucky rock singer who first taught America to spin that wheel.

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