Richard Simmons, the high-energy fitness coach who achieved fame as an enthusiastic evangelist for home exercise—while selling millions of Sweatin' to the Oldies videos—died Saturday. He died at home in Los Angeles, Variety reports, a day after turning 76. "Thank you. ... I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!" Simmons had posted Friday on social media. The celebrity, who became reclusive in recent years, put a scare into fans in March when he posted that he was dying—before adding, essentially, "eventually."
He grew up Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans' French Quarter, at one time selling pralines on the street. He was overweight, which he later attributed partly to the local food heritage, per USA Today; Simmons said he weighed almost 270 pounds when he graduated from high school. After settling in Los Angeles and working as a maître d', he became interested in fitness. Simmons dropped 123 pounds and opened a Beverly Hills fitness studio, the Anatomy Asylum, in 1974. At his combination exercise studio and restaurant, his clients included Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, and Paul Newman, per the Hollywood Reporter.
In his short shorts and sparkly tank top, Simmons became a familiar presence on TV shows, including General Hospital, often as himself. He landed his own syndicated TV show, gave motivational speeches around the country, and held fitness classes for fans. With chapters like "Coming to Grips With Your Hips," his Never-Say-Diet Book, published in 1980, was a best-seller. Simmons remained active in charity work, and his Beverly Hills exercise studio stayed in business until 2016. "My food plan and diet are just two words—common sense. With a dash of good humor," Simmons told the AP in 1982. "I want to help people and make the world a healthier, happy place." (More obituary stories.)
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