Richard Simmons, the wellness professional with a flamboyant, relentlessly very good persona, died Saturday (July 13) at his property in the Hollywood Hills. His loss of life, which appears to be from pure causes, came a single operating day suitable immediately after his 76th birthday.

Simmons’ multi-faceted fitness empire offered at least 12 books, 10 CDs and 22 DVDs, such as 5 volumes of his signature Sweatin’ to the Oldies.

Simmons had a platinum album in 1982 with Attain, which rode the Billboard 200 for 40 months. The album consisted of Simmons singing motivational tunes these kinds of as “What Are You Ready For?,” “You Can Do It,” “Wake Up,” “Reach” and “Live It.”

Simmons’ album entered the Billboard 200 in the 7 days ending June 5, 1982, one particular 7 days just immediately after Jane Fonda’s Training File debuted. Jane Fonda‘s double-disk album achieved No. 15 on the chart and went double-platinum. It consisted generally of such upbeat jams as The Jacksons’ “Can You Experience It” and Brothers Johnson’s “Stomp!” Both albums had been becoming element of the get-in shape craze of the period, which was also immortalized in Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” video, which was created in 1981.

Simmons’ vibrant character created him a all-organic for tv, the location he attained his finest fame. From 1980-84, he headlined his have daytime converse show The Richard Simmons Clearly show, focusing on person nicely becoming, conditioning, operate out, and healthier cooking. He also made recurrent appearances as himself on General Medical center and very a handful of other packages.

He was also a repeated guest of late-evening time tv and radio converse demonstrates, these types of as Late Evening with David Letterman (NBC) and Late Exhibit with David Letterman (CBS) and The Howard Stern Clearly show, exactly where these individuals hosts knew just how a great deal they could tease Simmons without having crossing the line into cruelty. Simmons, dressed in his signature Dolphin shorts and sparkly tank-tops, continuously appeared to be in on the joke.

He understood his job in present organization enterprise. In a 2012 job interview with Men’s Health and fitness, he was quoted as declaring: “When the king will get frustrated, he does not connect with for his wife or the cook dinner. He turns to the minimal male with the pointed hat and suggests to the court docket jester ‘make me giggle.’ And I am that court jester.”

Simmons was born Milton Teagle Simmons was born on July 12, 1948, in New Orleans. He grew up in the French Quarter, exactly where by, he renowned in his biography, “lard was a foodstuff group and dessert mandatory.” Simmons struggled with his pounds from an early age. He reportedly weighed 268 pounds when he graduated important university.

Upon relocating to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Simmons formulated an curiosity in wellness. He opened an operate out studio, the Anatomy Asylum, later on renamed Slimmons. His curiosity in wellness and fitness assisted him drop far much more than 100 pounds. In 2010, he proudly introduced that he had kept that fat off for 42 decades.

Simmons did not make any essential common public appearances following 2014. In February 2017, the podcast Lacking Richard Simmons launched, investigating why Simmons remaining public life-style so out of the blue.

In August 2022, in response to ongoing rumors and a TMZ documentary, What Truly Occurred to Richard Simmons, Simmons issued a statement to the New York Post that he “is happy, healthy, and residing the everyday living he has selected to stay.”

In March 2024, Simmons disclosed that he skilled been identified with basal cell carcinoma, situated beneath his best eye. That related thirty day period, Simmons issued a assertion clarifying that he is not dying, just immediately after a cryptic Facebook post he skilled penned drew common public be concerned.

“I am … dying,” Simmons skilled ready on Facebook. “Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying. Every single operating day we are living we are getting closer to our death. Why am I telling you this? For the explanation that I want you to delight in your everyday life to the fullest every single single day. Get up in the early morning and appear at the sky … rely your blessings and appreciate. “

Earlier this 12 months, actor Pauly Shore portrayed Simmons in a restricted film named The Court Jester, which premiered at Sundance Movie Festival. In promoting the film, Shore teased the production of a higher biopic on the conditioning icon

Simmons, even so, constructed it really clear that he was not on board with the film.

“You might have read they may be executing a movie about me with Pauly Shore,” Simmons wrote in a create-up. “I have under no circumstances offered my permission for this film. So really do not think everything you read through.”

Simmons, who was active on social media, appeared to be in superior spirits Friday, on his birthday. He posted a black-and-white photograph of himself future to a cake. “I hardly ever got so quite a few messages about my birthday in my existence!” Simmons wrote on Fb. “I am sitting down below composing email messages. Have a most stunning rest of your Friday.”