Ahead of the one-year anniversary of Frank Fritz’s death, costar Danielle Colby has noted how fondly the American Pickers team remembers him.
“Boy, we miss Frank. We miss his laughter. We miss his sense of humor,” Colby, who uses they/them pronouns, told Newsweek in a recent interview. “I think his sense of humor was the most important piece of his personality that really kept us together and kept things on the same thread. And it was, man, that sense of humor is sharp. A very, very witty man.”
They added: “I miss those rare moments where he was emotionally vulnerable and would give me a hug or, you know, call up and ask questions or ask for advice. I miss those moments when he was able to … reach out very personally. We love Frank and we miss him. Huge loss. Huge loss for the community here in the Quad Cities. Huge loss [for] the world. Huge, huge loss for us.”
Fritz, who co-hosted the History Channel reality show alongside fellow antiques picker Mike Wolfe until 2021, died on September 30, 2024, at 60. His cause of death was determined to be a stroke resulting from cerebral vascular disease, with aortic stenosis and COPD as contributing factors, according to a death certificate cited by TMZ.
And Colby was one of the American Pickers colleagues who mourned Fritz on social media at the time. “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 wrote on Instagram. “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.”
Around the time Fritz’s American Pickers exit made headlines, he told The U.S. Sun he’d been seeking treatment for alcohol abuse and he was on the outs with Wolfe. But Wolfe told People in November 2024 that he and Fritz, once best friends, had reconciled before Fritz’s death.
“He was a lot like he was on camera,” Wolfe told the magazine. “He was very sensitive. He was very caring. He was extremely funny. His sense of comedic timing was unbelievable. … He was one of those guys, no matter who we talked to, he could always make people feel comfortable and let them know that they’re being heard.”
American Pickers, Wednesdays, 9/8c, History Channel
More Headlines:
Originally published on tvinsider.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?)
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sign up to receive notifications when a new Columbia Gorge News e-Edition is published.
Would you like to receive our news updates? Signup today!
Receive weekly updates on obituaries and death notices.
Oregon Capital Press presented by Columbia Gorge News
Receive updates on upcoming promotions and special sections.
Receive weekly updates on local sports news.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
Commented