Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Name (as requested) | Joanne Rhue Harrison |
| Role / How she’s known | Wife of Richard B. Harrison Jr.; matriarch of the Harrison family tied to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop |
| Family ties (immediate) | Spouse: Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. (d. June 2018); Children: Sherry (deceased as a child, 1960s), Joseph (Joe) Harrison, Richard K. “Rick” Harrison, Christopher K. Harrison |
| Grandchildren (examples) | Corey Harrison (grandson), Adam Harrison (grandson, cited in family posts) |
| Public-facing associations | Connected to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop and the broader Pawn Stars family narrative |
| Notable dates | Husband Richard Harrison’s death: June 2018; reported family legal dispute: 2022 |
| Net worth (public) | No distinct, reliable public figure reported for Joanne individually |
Family Portrait: names, faces, and the pulse behind the pawn counter
I like to imagine the Harrison family as a long, sun-bleached reel from a small-town cinema—grainy, warm, and full of the little arguments and punchlines that make any family feel like a cult classic. At the center of that reel is Joanne Rhue Harrison: steadier than the neon sign outside the store, a presence who mostly lived in the wings while the world learned the Harrison names on TV.
The marquee starts with Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr., often called “The Old Man” in pop culture. He and Joanne built a life anchored by the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop—Rick and Joe followed suit, literally and figuratively, growing into roles that made them household names. Richard’s death in June 2018 changed the tempo of the family; funerals and obituaries put Joanne at the heart of a household that had always been partly public, partly private.
Children: the list reads like chapters. Sherry—an early and tragic note—died in childhood during the 1960s, a sorrow that shapes many family stories in quiet ways. Joe (Joseph) is one of the elder siblings, a link to the generation before the TV cameras. Rick Harrison is the son most people know—co-owner of the shop, visible on Pawn Stars, a prolific raconteur of antiques and hustle. Christopher K. Harrison, the youngest son, enters later in the narrative; family reports suggest shifts in estate decisions that set off public eyebrows and private confrontations.
Grandchildren: the next frame slides into modernity—Corey Harrison (who has also worked at the shop and appeared on TV) and other grandchildren like Adam Harrison appear in social posts and family remembrances, tying the past to the present.
| Family Member | Relationship to Joanne | One-line introduction |
|---|---|---|
| Richard B. Harrison Jr. | Husband | The public face of the store and the family’s most famous voice; passed away June 2018. |
| Sherry (deceased) | Daughter | A child lost in the 1960s whose memory lingers in family records. |
| Joseph (Joe) Harrison | Son | An elder sibling who helped shape the pre-TV family life. |
| Richard K. “Rick” Harrison | Son | Co-owner of Gold & Silver Pawn; the most public-facing Harrison of the next generation. |
| Christopher K. Harrison | Son | Youngest son; a central figure in later estate conversations. |
| Corey Harrison | Grandson | A member of the third generation, known to viewers as “Big Hoss.” |
| Adam Harrison | Grandson | Appears in social posts identifying Joanne and Richard as grandparents. |
Life with the shop: texture, trade, and the family business
Walk into the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in your mind—wood floors that remember a thousand shoes, counters that have seen a century’s worth of stories, cases full of objects with histories louder than their price tags. That setting is the Harrison family’s constant. Joanne’s life is threaded through that scene: not always in the limelight, but present in every ledger, every family story told over spilled coffee.
This is a family that turned bargaining into a language. Over decades, four names became shorthand for a brand: Harrison—shop—television—spin. The store’s growth from local fixture to international curiosity transformed personal histories into cultural ones, and Joanne’s role, though quieter, is essential—she’s the steadying force off-stage when cameras roll and tempers flare.
The public turn: television, trust, and the 2022 legal note
Television changed the family’s rhythm: once-private disagreements now echoed wider. The Pawn Stars phenomenon turned the shop into a studio and the family into characters people invited into their living rooms. With visibility came complexity—estate questions, trust arrangements, and the business of legacy became public talk.
In 2022, the family’s internal ledger found its way into headlines: a reported legal dispute involving Joanne and her son Rick over trust or assets became one of those moments when private family math becomes a public problem set. Numbers—percentages, clauses, beneficiary lists—replaced petty insults at the kitchen table. It’s a reminder that when a life intersects celebrity and commerce, even family arguments can go cinematic.
Personality and presence: what I see when I read between the lines
If you watch family photographs long enough, you can hear the hush behind the laughs—the household rhythms that don’t make it into interviews. Joanne reads to me like the quiet third act of a movie: not the hero who barks the catchphrase, but the one who rewrites the scene with a look. She’s the kind of person whose influence is measured not in headlines, but in the way the family behaves at breakfast, the little recalibrations after a funeral, the hand that steadies a trembling voice when the cameras aren’t rolling.
I find myself imagining moments: Joanne at a kitchen table, the radio muttering old country songs, a ledger open, children’s laughter off in the distance—Corey running in with a story about a customer, Rick rehearsing a line for a segment. Those domestic beats are as much part of the Harrison legacy as the neon sign.
Numbers, dates, and the practical ledger
- Husband’s death: June 2018—an inflection point that put estate and family dynamics into a new frame.
- Reported legal action: 2022—a year when a family trust dispute entered public view.
- Generations represented: three (Joanne and Richard’s generation, their children—including Rick and Joe—and grandchildren like Corey and Adam).
- Public net-worth figure for Joanne: not available; financial conversation generally centers on the family business and Rick’s public profile.
FAQ
Who is Joanne Rhue Harrison?
Joanne Rhue Harrison is the longtime spouse of Richard B. Harrison Jr. and the matriarch of a family tied to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.
What is Joanne’s role in the Harrison family business?
Public records and family narratives present Joanne as an integral family figure connected to the shop’s life—mostly a private presence alongside the more publicly visible sons.
Who are Joanne’s children?
Her children include Sherry (deceased as a child in the 1960s), Joseph (Joe), Richard K. “Rick” Harrison, and Christopher K. Harrison.
Was Joanne involved in any legal disputes?
Reports indicate a family legal dispute in 2022 involving trust or asset issues between Joanne and a son.
Is Joanne’s personal net worth publicly known?
No distinct, reliable public figure has been published for Joanne’s personal net worth.
How is Joanne connected to modern Pawn Stars viewers?
Joanne is the family matriarch whose life with Richard helped seed the stories that later became familiar to Pawn Stars audiences.
Are there grandchildren who continued the family business?
Yes—grandchildren such as Corey Harrison have been public faces of the family business, and others like Adam appear in family posts and remembrances.
