American Pickers star Frank Fritz has died. He was 60.
Fritz’s longtime co-star and friend Mike Wolfe broke the news to fans, also sharing that he was by Fritz’s side when he passed on Monday (Sept. 30).
“It’s with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night. We’ve been on countless trips and shared so many miles and I feel blessed that I was there by his side when he took one last journey home,” Wolfe writes.
“I’ve know Frank for more than half my life and what you’ve seen on TV has always been what I have seen, a dreamer who was just as sensitive as he was funny,” he adds. “The same off camera as he was on, Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of so many by just being himself.”
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No cause of death has been given at this time. TMZ notes that the former TV star was hospitalized just two years ago following a stroke that happened in the middle of “myriad of other health issues.”
According to the Quad-City Times, Frtiz continued to struggle with mobility and strength issues after his stroke. “He spent two-plus years in and out of in-patient rehab, the hospital and, ultimately, hospice care where he dies Monday,” the newspaper reports.
American Pickers made its debut on the History Channel in 2010 and featured Wolfe and Fritz “picking” barns and garages across America for forgotten junk that still holds value.
“This isn’t your grandmother’s antiquing,” the History Channel says in its description of the show. “The American Pickers are on a mission to recycle America, even if it means diving into countless piles of grimy junk or getting chased off a gun-wielding homeowner’s land.”
Wolfe and Fritz ran their business, Antique Archaeology, out of LeClaire, Iowa, near Davenport and the Illinois border, at the start of the show’s run. Frtiz was a Davenport native.
As the show became more popular, the pair would open additional locations throughout the U.S., including Nashville.
Fritz stepped away from the show following his stroke in 2022. Wolfe was then joined by a rotating group that included longtime show personality Danielle Colby, Wolfe’s brother, Robbie, and their friend, “Jersey Jon” Szalay.
“Frank, I will miss your ability to make everyone laugh, your love for talking tattoos, your epic collections but what I will miss the most are those little glimpses of vulnerability from time to time,” Colby writes on Instagram.
According to IMDB, Fritz starred in a total of 308 episodes of American Pickers from 2010-2021. He also made an appearance on Pawn Stars and had his voice featured on the animated TV show American Dad!
