Fans are devastated at the news that Frank Fritz, the antiques expert who gained fame on the reality series American Pickers, has died at 60.
Fritz, who left the series in 2021, had been suffering from health problems and was hospitalized from a stroke two years ago.
The news was announced by Fritz’s friend and co-star Mike Wolfe, who said that Fritz passed away last night.
“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,” 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.”
Fritz and Wolfe gained fame as the hosts of the reality TV series American Pickers, which premiered on the History Channel in 2010. The series showed the two “pickers” traveling across the USA, searching for valuable antiques and collectibles in unexpected places.
“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.”
The series attracted millions of viewers, becoming one of History Channel’s most popular programs. In its debut year it was the #1 non-fiction series among total viewers and adults 25-54.
While the antiques were often interesting, there’s no doubt it was the chemistry and charisma of the two hosts that kept viewers coming back for more.
In 2021, it was announced that Fritz would be leaving American Pickers after a decade on the hit series. Fritz said the decision was not his own, and that he was pushed out by the network after a back surgery.
“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.”
In July 2022, Fritz was hospitalized from a stroke. In 2023, he had a tearful reunion with Mike Wolfe, and the two resolved their purported feud. However, Fritz declined an offer to rejoin American Pickers, deciding to focus on his health.
It’s clear that the two former co-hosts have remained friendly since then, and it seems Wolfe was by his side til 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.”
American Pickers remains a staple of the History Channel lineup. Fritz has never officially been replaced as co-host, though series regulars like Danielle Colby, Mike Wolfe’s brother Robbie, and friend and antiques expert “Jersey Jon” Szalay will rotate accompanying Wolfe on his antiquing trips.
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.
Rest in Peace Road Dog.”
Rest in peace to the iconic reality TV star Frank Fritz 😢🙏 Please share this story in his memory.
Mom discovers son kneeling in prayer in Walmart
One day, young Braydon went shopping with his mother at the large US grocery store Walmart. But it wasn’t long before his mother became frightened when she discovered Braydon had vanished.
His mother found him after frantic, terrified searching for a few minutes.
Her initial thought was to chastise him for abandoning her. Yet she paused to consider why when she noticed him kneeling and praying in front of a sign board. She then looked at the wall more closely.
The worst nightmare of any parent is losing a child, even if it’s just temporarily. It is, of course, not unusual, particularly in areas with high pedestrian traffic, such shopping centers and huge grocery shops. At least for Braydon’s mother. She was eager to finish her shopping at Walmart, one of the biggest and busiest retail companies in the world, as soon as possible.
Faith Tap reports that Braydon’s mother stated, “I had to run into Walmart.” I looked back to make sure my son was by my side.
But he wasn’t. In a matter of moments, Braydon had plotted to distance himself from his mother.
When she finally located him, Braydon was knelt in front of a sign. He was in prayer. She asked him what he was doing since she was taken aback. But as she drew nearer to the board and looked, she was able to make sense of her son’s behavior.
It said, “Every second counts,” on the board. There were photographs of missing children next to those words. After seeing the board and leaving his mother’s side, little Braydon prayed to God that the kids would go back to their homes.
The heartwarming picture and the narrative that went with it went popular on the internet very fast. After seeing Braydon’s tale, the Facebook page for Aubrey Jayce Carroll, an adolescent boy who has been missing since 2016, made the decision to write a tribute to him.
“I would like to thank you for your prayers for these children, even if I am not sure who this little guy is. Aubrey Carroll is one of my cousins out there. I’m definitely impacted by this. I would love to thank this child in person if I knew where he was or who he was.
Since then, Facebook users have shared the picture of Braydon kneeling in front of the board more than 115,000 times.
You will agree that 800,000 or more children in the US are reported missing each year, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
It’s best summarized by a Facebook commentator on the image: “It truly doesn’t matter whether or not you believe in God. This young person in Walmart was thinking of other people and trying to help as much as he could. If more people emulated him, the world would be a better place.
Well done, mom! You’re doing something right—foundation is essential!
Bless his heart, God. I adore how deeply his faith permeates his consciousness.
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