Richard Harrison, aka "The Old Man" on 'Pawn Stars,' Passed Away in 2018
Updated March 29 2021, 2:59 p.m. ET
Over the years, Pawn Stars has become one of the History channel's biggest successes. Ricky and Corey Harrison, Richard "The Old Man" Harrison, and Austin "Chumlee" Russell have also become huge stars thanks to the show. Their jobs identifying and selling countless artifacts and unique items have made them legends in their field, and few, if any, could ever hope to compete.
However, the so-called "Old Man" hasn't been on the show for some time now. So, what exactly happened to him? Here's the full story of why "The Old Man" hasn't been on Pawn Stars and how the show has changed since.
What happened to "The Old Man" on 'Pawn Stars'? He died at 77 years old.
It was confirmed via his son and co-star Rick Harrison that on June 25, 2018, "The Old Man" passed away at 77 years old.
"Richard Benjamin 'The Old Man' Harrison passed away this morning surrounded by those he loved," Rick wrote on Instagram at the time of his father's death. "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."
On his personal life and eventual work for Pawn Stars, Rick commemorated the "full life" that Richard enjoyed on earth. "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," his son wrote of his father.
What was Richard's cause of death? "The Old Man" battled Parkinson's Disease for some years.
Richard was entangled in a difficult battle with Parkinson's Disease for quite some time. The longstanding Pawn Stars star stopped appearing in the show during its 2018 run and Rick announced that his father had succumbed to the illness shortly thereafter.
In the wake of his death, the subsequent seasons of the show have still maintained exactly what "The Old Man" would have wanted, albeit without his physical presence. Through a roughly 10-year run on the show, Richard became beloved by countless fans for his dry wit, humor, and seemingly endless knowledge of the various antiques that came into his showroom.
Being gone doesn't mean that he has been forgotten, however, because Corey, Rick, and Chumlee make constant reference to "The Old Man" in new episodes, almost three years since he passed. If you look closely enough, you can even see his famed monotonous facial expression in a framed picture displayed prominently behind the shop counter.
Catch new episodes of Pawn Stars Mondays at 9 p.m. EST on History.
