American Pickers Host Frank Fritz Dead At 60

Frank Fritz, the former star of the History Channel television show "American Pickers" has died, according to his co-star Mike Wolfe, who posted about the tragic loss on Instagram. "It's with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night," Wolfe wrote. Fritz died on September 30, 2024. He was 60. Wolfe didn't reveal the cause of death but said he was at his friend's side when Fritz passed away. Fritz had been experiencing medical issues in the last few years, including a stroke in July 2022.

Fritz left "American Pickers," in March 2020 after more than a decade due to back surgery and complications related to Crohn's Disease, a chronic illness that affects the digestive tract. But there was also talk that the two friends had a falling out. Fritz and Wolfe had been friends for years before their hugely successful reality TV show in which they traveled across the U.S. in search of antique treasures from collectors that they could resell. The two friends were able to resolve their issues and Wolfe was attempting to bring Fritz back to "American Pickers" before his friend's untimely passing. 

Frank Fritz was born in Davenport, Iowa, and had a love for antiques from an early age. "I always collected stuff as a kid," Fritz told the Muskegon Chronicle in 2010. "I was a fire inspector for 25 years, so I got into every nook and cranny in every building. I was always picking — always buying and selling."

Fritz met Mike Wolfe in eighth grade. As adults, they began picking together and later spent four years pitching their idea for "American Pickers" before the History Channel picked it up in 2010. "Who would have ever dreamed we would share the cockpit of a white cargo van in front of millions of people interested in our adventures," Wolfe wrote on Instagram. "Before the show we would take off together to places we never knew existed with no destination in mind and just the shared passion to discover something interesting and historic."

With the success of the television show, the two old friends clashed, just a part of the untold truth of the cast of "American Pickers." Fritz, in an interview with the Sun newspaper in 2021, didn't give the exact cause of their quarrel, but it appeared to be about egos. "The show is tilted towards him 1,000 percent," he told the outlet.

Over the last few years, Frank Fritz dealt with a number of health and wellness issues. Besides issues related to his Crohn's Disease, which he'd had for around 35 years, and back surgery, Fritz entered alcohol treatment and got sober around the time of his final appearance on "American Pickers." His exit from the show may have been related to this. "Frank caused so much pain for himself that it has been hard to watch," another of the "American Pickers" cast, Danielle Colby, wrote in August 2021 on Instagram. "I truly hope Frank receives all the help he needs to become well after years of being unwell." Fritz also lost 65 pounds around this time.

In July 2021, at the time of the Sun interview, it seemed Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe's relationship had broken down completely. "I haven't talked to Mike in two years," Fritz told the newspaper. "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." But by the time of Fritz's stroke the next year, the two had repaired their friendship. "I love you buddy and will miss you so much I know your (sic) in a better place," Wolfe wrote.