The workout guru who spurred us to sweat
Richard Simmons' life was changed by a note left on his car windshield. At the time he was a 270-pound exchange student in Italy, who'd parlayed his rotund appearance into roles in TV commercials and a Fellini film. "Fat people die young," read the note. "Please don't die." Horrified, Simmons transformed himself through diet and exercise — then rose to fame exhorting others to do the same. Clad in sequined tank tops and skimpy shorts, the hyperkinetic "Pied Piper of Pounds" was America's top workout guru in the 1980s, writing best-selling diet books, hosting a syndicated workout show, and selling tens of millions of workout videos such as Sweatin' to the Oldies. With relentless, campy energy, he donned tutus, chanted ("Fat, fat, go away / Give it all to Doris Day"), and hectored his subjects to sweat harder. "People need the court jester," he said in 2012, "so I keep that smile on and keep going out there to do what I do."Â
Simmons was born into show biz in New Orleans, where his father was an emcee and his mother a dancer, said the Los Angeles Times. Selling pralines as a child, Simmons "learned to charm customers" but struggled with his weight and was taunted in school. He was studying art in Florence when he was discovered; he then appeared in more than 130 commercials, playing parts including a dancing meatball. Once he decided to lose weight, he turned first to pills and fasting, but after his health cratered, he became devoted to healthy eating and exercise. Moving to Los Angeles, he opened Slimmons, an exercise studio, in 1974, said NBCNews.com. "His flamboyant personality" attracted celebrity fans and the notice of TV producers. Soon he was "a regular on TV talk shows" and a celebrity in his own right.Â
Simmons led classes into his mid-60s, said The Washington Post. But in 2014 he abruptly withdrew from public life, spawning "rumors and conspiracy theories" amplified by a podcast, Missing Richard Simmons, that offered "tabloid speculation." In terse social media posts, he referenced health issues. This year, he said he'd been treated for skin cancer and told followers to "enjoy your life to the fullest." That message was a continuation of his life's mission: to inspire and empower. "When I'm long dead and gone," he said in 2006, "it will still be, 'Love yourself, watch your portions, and move your buns.'" |