It's been more than a year since Frank Fritz sadly passed away. Mike Wolfe is still broken up about the loss of his American Pickers co-star and reflecting on the legacy they created together.
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Fritz passed away in October 2024 at the age of 2024. Despite previously having a falling out, Wolfe and Fritz were able to mend fences in the end. Wolfe was there for his friend in Fritz's final moments. Now, preparing to launch a new show History's Greatest Picks with Mike Wolfe, Wolfe is feeling a bit nostalgic.
He says he owes Fritz so much for believing in American Pickers all those years ago. It's hard not to think about the loss of his friend while doing the thing they loved.
"I've been thinking a lot about when the new show airs on the 22nd, and it's been a little over a year since he's passed. And just praying to find the words to bring these pieces to a point where people don't want to change the channel and they're interested in them. That's what Frank and I were tasked with every day," Wolfe told PEOPLE. "And we learned how to be on-camera together. I owe him so much for believing in me for the first show, and now I owe him so much for the opportunity for this one."
Mike Wolfe Gets Nostalgic
Fritz was a dreamer and never faltered in the pursuit of what they were putting together.
"Hands-on history is so important to so many people. And it was important to Frank and I because we were both the worst students ever," Wolfe said. Now, Wolfe is preparing to launch a new show and continue the legacy they built together.
"People can see a story on this new show, the introduction of the item, and then the relationship of that item with the person that found it, and then we get into the history of the item," Wolfe said. "We're coming from beginning to end with four stories in an hour. So it's so cool for me to be able to be that conduit to tell their stories."
Fritz may be gone, but his memory and spirit linger with everything that Wolfe does.
"I was just on a pick in Iowa here and I walked in and the whole basement was full of toys," he said. "And I would've walked away and said, 'Hey, Frank, you handle this. You're the toy guy.' "
