I was 9 years old when Freddie died. I loved Chico and the Man, but suicide and death never connected with me at that age. I guess it was too unreal (unlike today's sad situations).

So how old are the posters here? Are most of you rerun fans, or people who saw original broadcasts?

I guess you could call me a new old fan of CATM & a new Freddie Prinze fan. I watched the very first episode of CATM when it first came on in '74. After watching SANFORD & SON that nite as everyone did back then, I left the tv on & on came a new show called CHICO & THE MAN. It looked good so I watched it liked it & ever since then enjoyed watching it. Altho I loved watching the show & liked it, I wasn't a fan of Freddie Prinze & never though of him as being either cute or not cute. He was just CHICO to me & funny. I think I was too in love with John Travolta & the Monkees. In 1977 Freddie died committing suicide. I had gone to high scholl that day & my friend came to school talking about it & how he'd died & she'd cired when she found out. I was like huh he's dead, he couldn't be he's on tv. She said no sadly it was true. I wondered how someone so young not that much odler than me could kill themselves & thought it sad. That summer the re-runs of CATM came on with Freddie in them & I watched & enjoyed them. I watched the show with Raul in it & while I liked it, it wasn't the same without Freddie. After the hoopla over his death died down I didn't hear of him anymore until Jr came out & then read somewhere he was Freddies son.

Flash Forward to 2001... I had read & heard CATM was coming back on TVLAND & was glad cuz I had liked the show & would be able to see it again. I watched alot of the marthon & enjoyed it again. When it came on TVLAND in it's regular timeslots, I enjoyed watching it & started getting into it. Pretty soon I got really into the show. I started noticing how cute Freddie was & started getting into him but kept denying I was starting to like him LOL! I found these boards & started hanging out on here & between watching the show & hanging out on here, grew to love him more. Eventually I was watching the show not only at midnite but getting up to watch it at 8:30 AM to watch it too so I could see it twice a day. Then the show got changed to 5:00 AM & I wound up starting a petition to move it to a better timeslot. I grew to love Freddie more & more. The show got cancelled which broke my heart, but not my new found love for Freddie Prinze Sr. My hubby puts up with my interest in Freddie & is a good sport about it. I only wish I had discovered him back in the 70's when I was watching him on CATM so I could've collected all the stuff on him back then, instead of having to now collect stuff on him yrs later & having trouble finding it & cheaply. Better late than never...

dlemond, Welcome to the board. I am a first run viewer of the show back in the 70's, although I was in college by the third season and missed that season in it's first run. I was a poor college student who didn't own a TV and was studying (and partying) most of the time. But I never forgot Freddie and my love for him never lessened. I was devastated about his death, which happened in my second semester at college. When E! showed his story in November of 2000, I cried all over again and longed for the show to be on again so I could show my two teenage daughters what I found so fascinating about this man. (The older one is big into Freddie Jr.) TVLand brought back a flood of memories for me when it aired the fandemonium weekend in Jan of 2001. I was fortunate to get all the memories on tape and try to enjoy them as much as I am able. Just last night, I was able to watch about 6 episodes from the end of the first season. Mmmmm, I was in heaven all over again. I sure wish TV land would air the show regularly again. :(

I was a senior in high school when Freddie left us, but I seem to have been like Cheryl--aware of the show (my parents say we watched it but I honestly can't remember), but into other stars and therefore oblivious to Freddie's charms! I had lived in California--in the same suburb of Los Angeles in which Freddie lived when he first moved there from New York!--until just about a year before he came out there! Maybe if I had stayed in Van Nuys......

Anyway, I rediscovered Freddie in a vague way when his son became famous, but not until theTVLand Fandemonium in January of last year did I fall completely in love with him. You hit the nail right on the head with the use of the word "devotion"--that says it all! I look on him now as a kind of guardian angel and the only inspiration for my writing, as well as for my pursuit of voice lessons after wanting to take them for years (he was also a wonderful singer, in case you were not aware of that). But on the other hand Freddie is also the object of more "earthy" thoughts on my part, more often than I care to admit LOL! (And I know I am not alone in that among the people posting on this message board!) Guess I am making up for lost time!

I was in junior high school when Freddie died. I remember the show very well. My favorite episode then and still is 'Reverend Bemis's altar ego". I remember recording the shows through my old cassette tape player to keep as a memorie.

I remember my father telling my mother that Freddie had died. I, like my mom was very upset to see such a bright young talented man die so young. When TVland aired the show last year I was very excited to be able to watch and tape the show. I am especially happy to discover and rediscover Freddies hidden talents on the show as well.

I am forever grateful for the friends of Freddie Prinze/ Chico and the man that I have made here. It's awesome that we are still together even after TVLand has taken Chico and the man off it's line up. :dance:

Your right we are devoted to him and never have forgotten him.

I was a young lady working in the Wall Street area when I first saw Freddie on TV on the Johnny Carson Show. I thought he was so funny. At the time I used to buy alot of fan magazines and followed his career closely. When Chico and the Man came on TV I would look at it devotedly and I fell in love with
him along with millions of other females. Plus I was the same age as Freddie so I thought if I ever met him we would both "click". LOL................

As he went through life I read everything on him I could get my hands on. Did I hear anything about Qualuudes? Well this is what I remember. As the show continued...... I remember reading how he
was losing so much weight but, I tell you........ I was so in love with Freddie I didn't see how bad he was looking. I don't remember reading about him playing with any guns or anything like that. I did hear about Cocaine but, then they stopped reporting about it. So again I was in Love. :heart:

I remember when he bought his mother the house. I remember when he married Kathy. My heart sank (I remember this well)....
but, again I loved Freddie........
When he had the baby..... I experienced his happiness as a devoted fan. He loved that baby. All the magazines posted him happy and smiling. He was estatic...
I remember when he moved from the home he shared with Kathy. I remember her serving the divorce papers.

The day he shot at himself, I was working in the office and a friend of mine called me on the phone (maybe like 12:00PM) and told me that Freddie had shot himself. I was in SHOCK! :( He didn't die so I still had hope. At the office and at home I prayed and prayed for Freddie I couldn't understand why he did this? He died the next day and I as millions of other fans were angry. Why? As the years passed by I've always wondered about Fred Jr. now my heart feels better. I see him now. Then I saw Chico and the man on TVLand and those loving feelings came flooding back. I forgave Freddie. I forgave him because he gave my life so much happiness when he was alive. I laughed with him. I also cried for him. Sorry this is long but, as you can see. We are devoted to the Prinze! May he always REST IN PEACE.

I was 2 years older then Freddie when he died, I watched the show from beginning to end.:wave: :heart:

I was 6 when Chico and the Man first began. I was a fan then and am incredibly a huge fan now.I was 8 when he died and felt a terrible loss...All us kids in neighborhood did.That was our favorite show and we even played Chico and the Man.

Whether we are young or old, I think you can see the love and dedication his fans still have for him after all these years. Not only do we all agree that he was very handsome, very sexy and very talented, we all wish to keep his memory clean and alive. Things would have been different for Freddie Prinze if his problems were handled differently, or dealt with in today's world I'm sure. Since he is no longer with us, it is great that there are so many web-sites and message boards about him where all his loving fans can keep him alive in their own way. I'm glad you can see how much we all love him yet today. Thanks for joining us!

I was 12 and just starting to like boys and notice the good looking men on television. I had a big crush of Freddie. Hearing that he died and all the circumstances surrounding it, not to mention the drug use, hit me hard, at this tender adolescent stage. For a long time, I was angry at him. Then when I got older, I realized that things were kinda beyond his control.

Seeing the show again and getting a chance to record some of them has been great!
:)

Welcome to the most active board around. We are all very dedicated fans of Freddie Prinze. He was a wonderful, talented,
sensitive man. (Man? he was only 22 yrs. old when he died). He brought to us all a gift...himself. He gave and gave and without complaint....but instead relished the idea of bringing laughter to
everyone. There will never be another Freddie Prinze...the mold has been broken. It makes no difference how he died...it was how he lived that was important. He loved his mother but most of all he loved his son. He is probably smiling down on him as we speak. Freddie Jr. has indeed made his father proud.

Freddie had drive and dedication and a very kind heart. So despite what people may think, he was filled with goodness and that 's enough for me. Let's remember the good things..afterall is that not what being a fan is all about? We prove it right here on this board everyday. You couldn't find a better group of people anywhere else, even if you tried. So welcome!!!

DLemond, I thank-you for making such a kind observation.

Everyone's comments have been so sweet that I have been in tears. I wanted to comment days ago, but it has been difficult.

I was in high school when I first saw Freddie and immediately fell in love!! I admired his comedic prowess and fine acting abilities. I also, followed his career and read everything I could get my hands on, in reference to him. My feelings are in unison with the folks here, in that I tape recorded the show, was crestfallen when he married, and rejoiced with him when his son was born. I realize now that I was blinded by love, because as he lost weight, I never imagined that he was in such dire straits. I read about the problems he was having, but dismissed it as his youthfulness. I stood by him as a fan, as I do with any friend, right or wrong!! My love for him is unwavering and eternal!

When the tragedy occurred, I was in shock and immediately began praying and enlisting everyone else's prayers. I kept vigil by the television for any news. When the outcome was announced I was devastated and inconsoleable. My family and friends did not understand my reaction and were very concerned. To this day they will not even mention his name to me
due to their recollections of how badly I took his death.

I am sincerely grateful for this website (and all the others) that are dedicated to CATM and the object of our affections - FREDDIE PRINZE. The friendships made here have helped me in more ways than I can count. To have kind and understanding friends to discuss things with is a blessing. We all were left with so many questions and a profound sadness. The wonderful people here have seen me through times of depression, loneliness and heartache. I relate to such a large degree with Freddie and will never get over his passing.:crying: I know it may seem strange since I never met him in person, but he will forever be in my heart. I thank each of you for allowing me to e-mail you or call you and pour my heart out about Freddie. I thank you for listening and sharing your deepest emotions as well. I salute those of you who have authored Fan Fiction and poetry in honor of Freddie. All of these works have given him back to us in a special way. It takes courage and conviction to share your gifts with us and I appreciate it. You will never know how much it comforts the reader. Once again, thank-you all for being here and letting the world know that "Our Prinze" is REMEMBERED, CHERISHED, and LOVED for all time!! Regardless of the number of years that pass, our love and dedication to him grows stronger still.

Lastly, I have to give my heartfelt thank-you to Freddie!! I know that on some level, he is aware of all of us and feels the love we send out to him. I believe spiritually, he orchestrated the friendships that have come out of this website. I feel that he is honored and blessed by our tributes and love for him. Love has no limits or boundaries such as space or time. Love is healing and redemptive.

FREDDIE FOREVER!!:love:

Baby, my heart is yours.

I too was 9 when he died. I had the biggest crush on him.When I heard of his death on the news I went to my room and cried.I knew of death because I had an uncle that died.But I couldn't understand why he would kill himself.He had so much talent.Thats why even today he is ,and always will be remembered.

I was 11 when Freddie Died I vaugely remeber the show than and couldn't really figure out why the abrupt change on the show till it was rebroadcast and my mom explained what happened I am a huge fan to this day.
I felt bad when i understood what happened and miss him but i feel it was an unintentional accident due to the drugs.
Having suffered from depression for some time now i can relate and will love Freddie for always