The Tragic Toll on the ‘Pawn Stars’ Family: Inside the Devastating Losses of the Old Man and Rick Harrison’s Son

For over a decade, the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas has been a beacon of history, commerce, and friendly, wisecracking family rivalry, all playing out under the bright lights of reality television. Pawn Stars, which premiered in 2009, introduced millions of viewers worldwide to the Harrison family: the stern but lovable patriarch Richard “The Old Man” Harrison, his savvy son Rick Harrison, and his often-clashing grandson, Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, along with their longtime friend, Austin “Chumlee” Russell. They became instant celebrities, their lives an open book—or so it seemed.

Behind the scenes of the million-dollar deals and expert appraisals, a quieter, much darker narrative has unfolded. The Harrison family, much like any other, has been forced to confront profound, heart-wrenching tragedies that no amount of TV fame or fortune could ever prevent. In recent years, the shop—and the family—has been rocked by two significant, devastating losses: the passing of their beloved co-founder and the sudden, accidental death of one of Rick Harrison’s sons, a stark reminder that the spotlights of reality television often conceal the most painful human stories.

The Loss of the Anchor: Richard “The Old Man” Harrison

Richard Benjamin Harrison, affectionately known by millions as “The Old Man,” was the quiet anchor of the show. His sometimes-grumpy, always-wise presence provided the perfect foil for his son Rick’s relentless energy and his grandson Corey’s enthusiastic recklessness. He was a 20-year Navy veteran and co-founder of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, which he opened with Rick in 1989. For the show’s fans, he represented a certain old-school sensibility—a man who had seen it all and, crucially, had never taken a sick day since 1994.

In 2017, Richard retired from the daily operations of the shop, and a year later, the family shared the heartbreaking news with the public. Richard “The Old Man” Harrison passed away on June 25, 2018, at the age of 77, after a long and private battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Rick Harrison’s tribute on social media captured the deep sense of loss. “The Old Man lost his long battle with Parkinson’s this morning. Love you Dad. See you on the other side,” he wrote. The message was profoundly moving, painting a picture of a man who was not just a television personality, but a true patriarch. The official statement from the shop echoed this sentiment, remembering him as a “sometimes grumpy (always loving, however), often wisecracking, and voice of absolute reason” on the show.

For fans, it was the end of a cherished era. Richard Harrison’s presence was a cornerstone of Pawn Stars, and his death marked the first truly irreplaceable void in the show’s dynamic. His passing was a natural, albeit sorrowful, event following a long illness. However, the tragedy that would strike the family years later would be of an entirely different, more immediate, and tragically modern nature.

A New, Devastating Crisis: The Death of Adam Harrison

In early 2024, the Harrison family endured a tragedy so sudden and painful that it sent shockwaves through the reality TV world: the death of Adam Harrison, Rick Harrison’s second son. Adam, who was not a regular cast member like his brother Corey, passed away at the devastatingly young age of 39.

The initial news was shocking, but the later revelation of the cause of death brought with it a profound sense of anguish and an undeniable connection to one of the most critical public health crises plaguing the nation. Adam Harrison died from an accidental overdose caused by fentanyl and methamphetamine toxicity.

Adam had largely kept his life private, away from the relentless glare of the cameras that followed his father and brother. While he was not a fixture on Pawn Stars, reports indicated that he had, at one point, worked at the family’s world-famous pawn shop. His sudden passing, ruled an accident by the Clark County coroner’s office, threw the family into immediate, profound grief.

Rick Harrison, already reeling from the loss, confirmed the cause of death to the media, using the moment of personal despair to issue a public warning. “I can confirm Adam died from a fentanyl overdose,” Rick stated, his words not just a mourning father’s lament but a desperate plea for action. “The fentanyl crisis in this country must be taken more seriously. It seems it is just flowing over the borders and nothing is being done about it. We must do better.”

His statement highlighted the terrifying reality of fentanyl: an opioid similar to morphine but up to 100 times more potent, with a lethal dose often consisting of just two milligrams—less than a grain of salt. For the Harrison family, the loss of Adam became an intensely personal battle against a wide-ranging national epidemic. Rick’s decision to speak out, even as he grieved, immediately transformed his family’s private sorrow into a public service announcement, a desperate attempt to honor his son’s memory by raising awareness about the crisis that claimed his life.

The Unseen Cost of Fame

The tragedies suffered by the Harrisons underscore a stark truth about reality stars: their celebrity status does not insulate them from the ordinary pains and extraordinary crises of life. While viewers see them laughing, negotiating, and making millions, the family is grappling with generational loss, the battle with a chronic disease like Parkinson’s, and the devastating, accidental death of a child due to substance use.

The Harrison family’s story, now stained with these twin sorrows, has added a layer of profound, inescapable complexity to the lighthearted negotiations that play out on screen. The legacy of Richard “The Old Man” Harrison lives on in every new artifact that enters the shop and every wisecrack shared between Rick and Corey. However, the memory of Adam Harrison serves as a painful, enduring wound, a stark reminder of the fragile nature of life and the immense power of the fentanyl crisis.

Rick Harrison’s strength in the face of these hardships—his continued running of the shop and his courage in speaking out about the cause of Adam’s death—is its own testament to his character. The Gold & Silver Pawn Shop continues to operate, a monument to the family’s resilience. Yet, the price of this resilience has been tragically high, a private, unseen cost paid for by a family we all thought we knew, teaching us that sometimes, the most valuable things in life are not the artifacts for sale, but the people we lose too soon.

The family has asked for privacy as they grieve, a completely understandable request given the public nature of their lives. In lieu of flowers, they established an education fund for Adam’s surviving son, Colton, a poignant gesture that aims to turn immense loss into a future of opportunity. It is a heartbreaking conclusion to the story of a young man who was not a TV star, but was profoundly beloved by his family. For the millions of fans who have followed the Harrisons for years, their hearts go out to the family, who prove that even the most famous among us are simply a family, vulnerable to tragedy and desperately trying to cope with the unthinkable.