Mike Wolfe is speaking out to pay tribute to his late American Pickers co-star Frank Fritz. He tragically died in September of 2024 at the age of 60 due to complications from a stroke. This comes as Wolfe is preparing to launch his new show History’s Greatest Picks with Mike Wolfe on Sunday.
Wolfe Owes Fritz ‘So Much’
Wolfe, 61, told People Magazine that he owes Fritz “so much” as he begins a new chapter on television. He and Fritz were longtime best friends, and they launched American Pickers on The History Channel in 2010. Over a year after Fritz’s death, Wolfe wants the world to know that he still thinks about his beloved friend.
“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,” Wolfe said. “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.”
“And we learned how to be on-camera together,” he continued. “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.”
Wolfe went on to say that Fritz “never doubted the dream” of making American Pickers together. Indeed, he reportedly “never” faltered when it came to their show.
“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 with a laugh. This was a reference to his and Fritz’s days in school together as children.
Wolfe Thinks About Fritz ‘Every Day’
Wolfe still enjoys going out looking for antiques as the owner of Antique Archaeology, his store that was featured on American Pickers. He still thinks about Fritz “every day” when he’s looking for his antiques.
“I was just on a pick in Iowa here and I walked in and the whole basement was full of toys,” he recalled. “And I would’ve walked away and said, ‘Hey, Frank, you handle this. You’re the toy guy.'”
When it comes to his new show, Wolfe said that viewers are “going to feel connected to the people that found these items.”
“You actually connect with that person that found this item,” he explained. “Then you can see yourself in them because so many of these people that found these items, they’re not professionals. They’re just people that collect, maybe go to a yard sale every once in a while, or an estate sale and they’re like, ‘Hey, this is interesting.'”‘
In the end, Wolfe is hoping that his new program will show fans that “we all share a common interest in our history.”
“I just want us to all have a moment to breathe, sit down with our families, get excited, not just about our history, but history from other parts of the world that this show is going to encompass,” he concluded. “And so that’s what I would like to see this show accomplish.”
History’s Greatest Picks with Mike Wolfe premieres at 9pm on The History Channel this Sunday. If you were a fan of American Pickers, be sure to check it out!