Instantly recognizable by his short shorts, sparkly tank tops, and frizzy hair, Richard Simmons was one of the most original, flamboyant, and popular fitness stars of the past 50 years.

Simmons died Saturday at his home in Los Angeles, a spokesperson confirmed to NPR. He was 76. A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson told NPR that police conducted a death investigation at an address in the Hollywood Hills. NPR used public records to match the address to a home owned by Simmons.

Police did not give a cause of death, but said no foul play was suspected.

Simmons built a fitness empire starting in the 1970s that included videos, classes, books, products, infomercials, his own show, and numerous television appearances.

It was a good thing that his entrepreneurship coincided with a time when technology was new – or at least new in the 1980s. Simmons released fitness classes on VHS tapes that could be played on VCRs. Over the course of his life, he made more than 65 fitness videos, including “Sweatin’ to the Oldies,” which sold over 20 million copies.

He grew up as an “unhappy, confused teenager”

Born in New Orleans, Milton Teagle Richard Simmons described himself as a compulsive eater as a young boy, and was bullied and made fun of by others because of his weight.

“I grew up without physical education,” he recalled on NPR’s “Tell Me More” in 2008. “In eighth grade, I weighed 200 pounds. And by the time I graduated from high school, I weighed almost 300 pounds. I was a very … unhappy, confused teenager who couldn’t figure out what he wanted in life and why he had such a strong relationship with food.”

Simmons wrote on his website that he tried diets and laxatives, but eventually adopted “a lifestyle of balance, moderation and exercise.” His life’s work has become making exercise fun for all body types.

In 1974, Simmons opened his own studio in Beverly Hills, catering to people looking to lose weight and get in shape. It was originally called The Anatomy Asylum, but later became known as SLIMMONS. It even housed one of the area’s first salad bars, called “Ruffage.” Simmons maintained a presence there until 2013.

Simmons’ training style was upbeat and inviting. In a commercial for one of his popular “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” videos, he raved, “If you’re looking for a lively, fun, stimulating, humorous, colorful, exuberant, playful, inspiring, safe, low-impact workout full of kicks, thrills, momentum, fervor, passion, anger, hustle and action, look no further. This is it!”

No other fitness star looked like Richard Simmons. And no one else in the fitness videos of that era looked like the people in his classes, according to historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela. “They were all ages, there were men and women. But most importantly, many would have been considered overweight by the standards of the time.”

Petrzela, author of “Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession,” says inviting fat people to exercise was revolutionary in the 1970s and 1980s. But more recently, Simmons has been criticized for her fat-shaming campaign, Petrzela says.

“This criticism is not misplaced,” she says. “But I also think it is very important to see how … the important work he has done to raise people’s awareness of WHO who deserves to do sports, who is welcome in the gym and who deserves to find joy through exercise and in exercise communities.”

In his 60s, Simmons became a recluse. Many of his fans were baffled as to why this very public and positive person became quiet and did not leave his home. The podcast Richard Simmons is missing and several documentaries delved into the mystery, including one produced by TMZ that aired on Fox and Hulu. In a 2022 statement, Simmons succinctly thanked his fans. Previous interviews, such as one on the Today show in 2016, alluded to health issues and a desire to spend time alone.

Simmons’ philosophy was simple. He preached positivity, portion control, and at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. This message resonated with people who didn’t see themselves in the traditional fitness world – and those who felt like they were last picked for the team.

Copyright: NPR 2024