(CMR) Richard Harrison, who was referred to “The Old Man” on the television series Pawn Stars has died.
Harrison's son and co-star for the History channel series, Rick Harrison, made the announcement to more than 245,000 Instagram followers on Monday, attributing his father's death to Parkinson's.
A rep for the Harrisons confirmed news of the patriarch's passing and issued the statement Rick shared to Instagram.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend Richard ‘The Old Man’ Harrison, a beloved member of the HISTORY and ‘Pawn Stars’ family, he will be greatly missed for his wisdom and candor. Our thoughts are with the Harrison family during this difficult time.”
The statement reads
“Pawn Stars” debuted in 2009 and documented the day-to-day happenings of the family-run Nevada store. Harrison's grandson, Corey Harrison, and his friend, Austin Lee Russell, known as “Chumlee,” are also cast members.
Harrison, a former navy man, moved his family to Vegas in the hopes of creating a new beginning and opened the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in 1988, according to a bio from the network's website. Harrison helped assess items brought into the shop with a memorable blunt and no-nonsense approach. As the store sees many unique items, experts are often called on to determine value and authenticity.
Sharing a close-up of the 77-year-old, Rick penned a lengthy tribute to his dad who helped him run the family business.
“Richard Benjamin ‘The Old Man’ Harrison passed away this morning surrounded by those he loved,”
Rick captioned an image of Harrison, clad in a black suit with matching glasses and fedora. “He will be tremendously missed by our family, the team at Gold & Silver Pawn and his many fans the world over.”
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