Off The Record
The “American Pickers” Star Frank Fritz Passed Away At The Age Of 60
The news that Frank Fritz, the antiques expert who rose to popularity on the reality series American Pickers, passed away at the age of sixty has left fans distraught.
Fritz, who departed the series in 2021, had been experiencing health issues and had been admitted to the hospital following a stroke two years prior.
Mike Wolfe, Fritz’s co-star and friend, broke the news, saying that Fritz had died away the previous evening.
“I’ve known 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,” Wolfe wrote in a social media tribute. “The same off camera as he was on, Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of so many by just being himself.”
As the hosts of the reality TV show American Pickers, which debuted on the History Channel in 2010, Fritz and Wolfe rose to popularity. The show followed the two “pickers” as they journeyed across the United States in quest of priceless antiques and artifacts in unlikely locations.
“We’re looking for amazing things buried in people’s garages and barns,” the show’s opening narration explains. “What most people see as junk, we see as dollar signs. We’ll buy anything we think we can make a buck on.”
“We make a living telling the history of America… one piece at a time.”
Millions of people watched the series, making it one of History Channel’s most well-liked offerings. When it debuted, it ranked first among all non-fiction shows among adults 25 to 54 and overall viewers.
The chemistry and charisma of the two hosts undoubtedly kept viewers interested, even though the antiques were frequently fascinating.
After ten years on the popular series American Pickers, Fritz was set to depart in 2021. Fritz said that the network forced him to leave following back surgery and that the decision was not his own.
“I didn’t leave the show,” he told The Sun at the time. “I finished shooting, and then I had a little back surgery, and the pandemic came.”
He also suggested that his co-host’s ego was a factor, saying the show had “tilted towards him 1,000 percent.” “I haven’t talked to Mike in two years,” Fritz said. “He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is.”
Fritz was hospitalized in July 2022 following a stroke. After a heartfelt reconciliation in 2023, he and Mike Wolfe ended their alleged fight. Fritz did, however, turn down a chance to return to American Pickers in order to prioritize his health.
The two former co-hosts appear to have stayed friends ever since, and Wolfe appears to have supported him all the way to the end.
“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 wrote on Instagram. “I love you, buddy, and will miss you so much. I know [you’re] in a better place.”
One of the most popular shows on the History Channel is still American Pickers. Although series regulars including Danielle Colby, Mike Wolfe’s brother Robbie, and friend and antiques expert “Jersey Jon” Szalay would alternately go with Wolfe on his antiquing excursions, Fritz has never formally been replaced as co-host.
Colby also shared her own tribute to Fritz on social media. “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,” she wrote.
“Frank, you loved your cat and your momma, and we bonded on those things. You will be missed for all of these reasons and so many more.”
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