American Pickers: Who Is John Parham & How Was He Connected To The Show?

John Parham is a motorcycle expert who appears in a total of four "American Pickers" episodes to facilitate the sales of motorcycles with historic value to the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa. Parham was the museum's president until his death in 2017. The first "American Pickers" episode to feature him is Season 5, Episode 11, which premiered in 2012. He's also in a 2014 episode of Season 12 as well as two episodes of Season 14 that premiered in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

At the time of his death, co-host Mike Wolfe shared a heartfelt remembrance to his professional Facebook page in which he mentioned that Parham was a personal friend beyond just their work together on TV. Wolfe's career in antiques kicked off when he started first buying bicycles and then motorcycles, so their personal relationship is unsurprising given their mutual interest.

"Our hearts go out to the family of John Parham – a close friend that was the owner of the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa. Many of you know him from the show. John was a dear friend of mine for more than 25 years," Wolfe wrote. "John and I shared the same passions, and he was always supportive. I turned to John for advice not only about my collection, but in life. He touched the lives of many people through his generosity and love of motorcycles. He will be deeply missed."

Following John Parham's death in April of 2017 — just a little over a year after his involvement in "American Pickers" Season 14, Episode 18 — Cedar Rapids-based newspaper The Gazette published an obituary highlighting some of his achievements in the motorcycle world, in which he was something of a major player.

Notably, he and his wife Jill opened their first motorcycle store in 1975. This gradually expanded into J&P Cycles, which is a nationwide company that still exists to this day specializing in both motorcycle components and lifestyle apparel. Their son Zachary is currently the company's vice president. Parham likewise helped establish the National Motorcycle Museum in 1989. For his work with both J&P Cycles and the National Motorcycle Museum, he earned a spot in the American Motorcyclist Association Hall of Fame in 2015.

The "American Pickers" Season 18 premiere, which first aired on October 16, 2017 is dedicated to Parham's memory.