Richard Harrison, known as "the Old Man" on cult reality show Pawn Stars has died at the age of 77.
Harrison's death was confirmed by his son and co-star on the History channel show, Rick Harrison, who called his father his "hero".
“He will be tremendously missed by our family, the team at Gold & Silver Pawn and his many fans the world over,” Rick Harrison wrote in a post on Instagram.
“He was my hero and I was fortunate to get a very cool 'Old Man' as my dad," Rick said. "That I got to share him with so many others and they got to see what a great family man he was is something I am grateful to have experienced with him".
"He lived a very full life and through the History television show Pawn Stars touched the lives of people all over, teaching them the value of loving your family, hard work and humor," the post said. "We appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers and ask that we are provided some privacy at this time.”
Pawn Stars, is filmed in Las Vegas at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop which opened in 1989. A well as the late Harrison and Rick, the show stars Rick's son, Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, and Corey's childhood friend, Austin “Chumlee” Russell.
The show premiered in July 2009 and features a number of local experts who visit the shop to help evaluate the rare, and often strange items brought in to the store by sellers.
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Harrison was known for providing much of the comic relief on the show, often chastising the younger stars.
One of the appraisers on the show, Steve Grad, tweeted his "heartfelt sympathies" to his good friends in the Harrison family.
In a statement, the History channel said: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend Richard ‘The Old Man’ Harrison, a beloved member of the Pawn Stars family. He will be greatly missed for his wisdom and candor. Our thoughts are with the Harrison family during this difficult time."
Richard Harrison, the surly reality star affectionately known as "Old Man" on Pawn Stars, is dead at age 77.
The news was confirmed on the Las Vegas-based Gold & Silver Pawn Shop's official Facebook page:
"It is with heavy hearts that we acknowledge the passing of Richard Benjamin Harrison (known as ‘The Old Man’ to 'Pawn Stars' fans the world over) this morning. He was surrounded by loving family this past weekend and went peacefully."
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"He will be remembered as the best father, grandfather and great-grandfather you could have by his family and by fans as the sometimes grumpy (always loving, however), often wisecracking, and voice of absolute reason on the History television show ‘Pawn Stars’."
His son and Pawn Stars co-star, Rick Harrison, revealed that "the Old Man lost his long battle with Parkinson's" in an emotional Instagram post.
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Grandson Corey Harrison also paid tribute to the beloved TV personality.
"I was lucky enough to spend 15 years of my life working with the old man. He wasn’t just a grandfather, he was truly a best friend as well. I’m truly blessed to have had him as a mentor."
Over the course of a few decades, Harrison transformed a small investment into a wildly successful business and brand.
Fox News has further details:
The Navy veteran opened the Gold & Silver Pawn store with his son Rick in 1988. The family partriach intially put his money into the real estate market but changed course after he lost a million dollars.
He moved to Las Vegas and put $10,000 in the pawn shop and saw his investment grow into a multi-million dollar company, complete with a reality show.
The Harrisons and their pawn shop rose to fame on the hit History Channel series "Pawn Stars" which premiered in 2009 and has been on the air for 15 seasons.
Pawn Stars fans mourned Harrison's passing on Twitter:
Remember Harrison with some of most memorable "Old Man" moments below:
Richard Harrison, who starred on the hit show Pawn Stars, has died. He was 77.
His son, Rick Harrison, revealed the heartbreaking news Monday morning on Instagram. "Richard Benjamin 'The Old Man' Harrison passed away this morning surrounded by those he loved," Rick wrote in the caption. "He will be tremendously missed by our family, the team at Gold & Silver Pawn, and his many fans the world over. He was my hero and I was fortunate to get a very cool 'Old Man' as my dad. That I got to share him with so many others and they got to see what a great family man he was is something I am grateful to have experienced with him."
He added, "He lived a very full life and through the History television show Pawn Stars touched the lives of people all over, teaching them the value of loving your family, hard work and humor. We appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers and ask that we are provided some privacy at this time."
The first episode of Pawn Stars debuted in 2009, and fans fell in love with the family, who runs a pawnshop in Las Vegas. Three generations of Harrisons use their eagle-eyed skills to assess what's worth big bucks and what's a fraud.
In a separate Instagram post, Rick revealed his dad lost his battle with Parkinson's Disease and confirmed he was a Navy veteran. RIP.
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Richard Harrison of Pawn Stars fame has died at the age of 77.
The former navy officer is best known as the wise presence on the History Channel reality TV series which focused on three generations of one family working in a pawn shop located in Las Vegas. He went by the name Old Man.
His son, Rick Harrison, who was also on the TV series, broke the news with a touching statement on Monday morning.
A sad loss for TV: Richard Harrison of Pawn Stars fame has died at the age of 77; here he is seen in 2009
Later TMZ claimed he suffered from Parkinson's Disease.
'The Old Man Harrison passed away this morning surrounded by those he loved,' Rick revealed.
'He will be tremendously missed by our family, the team at Gold & Silver Pawn and his many fans the world over.'
Rick added, 'He was my hero and I was fortunate to get a very cool Old Man as my dad.'
His shop: The former navy officer is best known as the wise presence on the History Channel reality TV series which focused on three generations of one family working in a pawn shop located in Las Vegas
The TV star added, 'The team at Gold & Silver Pawn and the Pawn Stars family is grieving his loss.
'He will be remembered as the best father, grandfather and great-grandfather you could have by his family and by fans as the sometimes grumpy (always loving, however), often wisecracking, and voice of absolute reason on the History television show Pawn Stars.'
He ended with: 'Services are pending and the family appreciates your prayers and kind words.'
He looked up to his dad: His son, Rick Harrison, who was also on the TV series, broke the news with a statement on Monday morning. Seen in 2014
He had savoir faire: 'He will be remembered as the best father, grandfather and great-grandfather,' said Rick; seen in 2014
Richard has been seen less and less over the years on Pawn Stars which has been on the air for nine years.
That is likely because he was fighting Parkinson's Disease, which the late Robin Williams also had.
Richard was often the highlight of the show as he would often be quiet then at just the right moment say exactly what needed to be said.
Early in his life he joined the Navy where he traveled often.
Then in the 1980s he moved to Vegas where he opened the Gold & Silver Pawn store with his son, Rick, on the Las Vegas strip.
They sold everything from gold rings to guns.
Then Hollywood came calling and their first episode of Pawn Stars launched in July 2009.
The cast is what makes the show a success with straightforward no-nonsense Rick and his smart dad by his side.
