Did The Old Man on ‘Pawn Stars’ Die?
Did The Old Man on Pawn Stars die? With the History Channel show in the midst of Season 20, fans are curious about Richard Harrison, the star of the show and founder of a Las Vegas icon.
What Happened to The Old Man on Pawn Stars?
For nine years, from 2009-2018, fans of the History series saw Rick Harrison and his dad Richard Harrison as co-owners of The Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas.
Richard and Rick ran the shop up until the elder Harrison’s death in 2018. Richard and his wife Joanna Harrison opened their first Vegas enterprise back in 1981, Gold & Silver Coin Shop after he left the Navy.
After decades of running Sin City pawnshops, Richard, Rick, and Rick’s son Corey debuted on Pawn Stars in July 2009. Known on the show as “The Old Man”, Richard joked that his role on the series is “to be an old grump”.
Not only did the show boom in ratings, but its popularity proved a boon to their pawn stores which saw a 400% increase in business. They were honored by Clark County with a key to the city and lots of celebrity perks. So, what happened to The Old Man?
Is Richard Harrison Dead? When Did he Die?
Born March 4, 1941, in Danville, Virginia, Richard Harrison died June 25, 2018, in Las Vegas at age 77. He served two decades in the Navy before moving to Las Vegas in 1981 and finding fame on Pawn Stars.
He and his wife opened the first 24-hour pawn shop on the Vegas strip. Once they landed on reality TV, the Harrisons became instant stars. He earned the moniker “The Old Man” at the very young age of 38 and it stuck.
Unfortunately, Richard fought and lost a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. On his passing, son Rick said he was “fortunate to get a very cool Old Man as my dad”. Then, after his death, it came out that Richard cut one of his three sons out of his will.
Pawn Stars‘ Richard had three sons – Rick, Christopher, and Joseph. And he chose to revamp his will a year before his death to cut out Christopher Harrison.
At the time of his death, Richard Harrison of Pawn Stars had three sons, 10 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Now, his wife Joanne is suing their son Rick alleging mismanagement of funds and withholding profits she’s due as the widow.
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