Richard Simmons

For other people named Richard Simmons, see Richard Simmons (disambiguation).

Richard Simmons
Richard Simmons, August 15, 2007
Born	(1948-07-12) July 12, 1948 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupation	physical fitness expert
Height	5 ft 6.5 in (1.69 m)
Website	www.RichardSimmons.com

Milton Teagle Simmons (born July 12, 1948), known professionally as Richard Simmons, is a fitness personality who promotes weight-loss programs, most famously through a line of aerobics videos and television programs.

Early life

Richard Simmons was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Simmons was raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, and attended Cor Jesu High School (now Brother Martin High School[1]). He suffered from obesity throughout his adolescence and by the time he graduated from high school, he weighed 268 lbs.

His first job, in New Orleans, was selling pralines. Simmons also briefly considered becoming a priest. After starting college at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, he transferred to Florida State University. While enrolled there, he studied as an exchange student in Florence, Italy. He graduated with a BA in Art. With his Art degree, Simmons worked in advertising in New York City and also for Coty Cosmetics and Revlon. During his time in New York he also worked as a waiter.

Fitness career

Upon moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Simmons worked as the Maître d' at a restaurant in Beverly Hills. He became interested in fitness, but was dissatisfied with the unhealthy fad diet methods and established gyms and exercise studios of the day which favored the already fit customer.

Although he was overweight in his younger days, after becoming interested in fitness, Simmons eventually lost 123 lb (56 kg).

He later opened his own exercise studio, originally called The Anatomy Asylum, where the emphasis was placed on providing encouragement on healthy eating in proper portions and enjoyable exercise. The business originally included a salad bar restaurant called "Ruffage," (a pun on the word Roughage) that he eventually removed in favor of focusing on exercise. The establishment, now called Slimmons, continues to operate in Beverly Hills, and Simmons teaches motivational classes and aerobics throughout the week.

Television appearances

With his business proving highly successful, Simmons began to draw media attention, beginning with an appearance on the television show Real People where he was shown at work and introduced customers whom he had helped to lose weight. He made a guest appearance on the celebrity game shows Win, Lose or Draw and Nickelodeon's Figure It Out.

Positive viewer reaction landed Simmons a recurring role as himself on the American soap opera General Hospital [2], over a four-year period.[3] This in turn led to further media focus as well as personal appearances in shopping malls, where he taught exercise classes. For a time in the early 1980s, Simmons even had an Emmy Award winning talk show, The Richard Simmons Show, where he focused on personal health, fitness, exercise, and healthy cooking.

Simmons has appeared as himself on numerous TV shows, including Whose Line Is It Anyway?, CHiPs and Saturday Night Live. He has also appeared on an episode of Arrested Development called "Bringing Up Buster". He hosted a short lived TV show called DreamMaker in 1999. Simmons has been featured in commercials for Sprint, Yoplait, and Herbal Essence Shampoos. In Canada, Simmons has appeared on television advertisements promoting Simmons' mattresses in Canada (the company is a division of the US-based Simmons Bedding Company) although Simmons has no business connection with the company other than through advertisement (strictly based on his name). The company has stated that they hired him purely on name and that he appeals to their target audience of women over 35.

He currently has a show on Sirius Stars, Sirius Satellite Radio channel 102, called Lighten Up with Richard Simmons, Sundays 3pm - 6pm ET live, with replays of the previous week before the live show, and the current week replays airing after the live show.

Toward the end of 2007, he appeared in a "This is SportsCenter" commercial on ESPN as the show's "conditioning coach."

Fitness work in recent years

Simmons has begun a push to get physical education incorporated into the No Child Left Behind Act He reports having met with U.S. Representative George Miller, the chairman of the House education committee, in hope of winning the Democrat's support for a plan to have elementary schools provide 150 minutes of PE each week.

Fitness plans and marketing

• Simmons first marketed weight loss plan was called the Live It; the plan was explained in his first book Never Say Diet.
• He has since written several more books and produced the Deal A Meal and FoodMover weight loss plans.
• He hosts the Cruise to Lose program on Carnival Cruise Lines and has made cameo appearances in films.
• He also has produced fitness videos such as the Sweatin' to the Oldies series and infomercials for his videos, and food plans, such as The Deal-A-Meal program and FoodMover.
• Simmons made an exercise album for Elektra Records, titled Reach, in 1983.
• Simmons had a show in the 1980s called Slim Cookin'.
• Simmons teaches other instructors to teach The Simmons Method. Training is periodically provided at Hoot Camp, which allows AFAA-certified instructors to earn continuing education. Held in Beverly Hills, Hoot Camp is approved by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). Hoot Camp has also been held in Saint Joseph, Missouri.
• Simmons travels the United States, teaching classes, and spends time phoning people who ask for his help.
• He has a dedicated website -- www.richardsimmons.com.
• He currently hosts a three-hour weekly radio show called Lighten Up with Richard Simmons every Sunday afternoon on Sirius radio.
• Simmons has worked with Salton to develop a new and unique food steamer, called "Steam Heat" which made its debut on QVC in October 2006.
• Simmons recently filmed a pledge drive special for PBS, called Love Yourself And Win, set to begin airing in the spring of 2007.
• November 16, 2006, Simmons appeared on the Today Show to announce his "Ask America" crusade to get PE back into US public schools as a required course. Simmons asked the viewers go to his website at www.richardsimmons.com and fill out his Ask America survey to help him gather information to take to Washington DC.

Personal life

Personality

Simmons is notable for his high-energy, motivational demeanor, an attribute he often uses to help encourage people to lose weight. His trademark attire is candy-striped Dolfin shorts and tank tops decorated with Swarovski crystals. Simmons is also known for his flamboyancy.

Simmons has always been known for his "personal touch," interacting at a personal level with the people using his products. This began when he started personally answering fan mail he received while a cast member of General Hospital. As a self-described devout Catholic, Simmons still personally answers emails and letters, and makes hundreds of phone calls each week to those who seek his help. He also talks to people on the air during his radio show, and holds weekly live chats in the "clubhouse" area of his website. His appearances also include a "meet and greet" time, so that people can speak to him one on one.

Simmons claims to have few friends saying, "I don't have a lot to offer one person. I have a lot to offer to a lot of people." Aside from his three Dalmatians and two maids, Simmons lives alone in the Hollywood Hills.

Hurricane Katrina response

In September 2005 Simmons appeared on Entertainment Tonight to discuss the effects of Hurricane Katrina on his family in his hometown of New Orleans and his involvement in aiding those affected by the hurricane. On August 29, 2006 Simmons appeared on Your World with Neil Cavuto while making a return visit to New Orleans one year after the flooding, a visit he repeated on March 2, 2007, now talking about his recent trip to Washington D.C. to promote and raise awareness about The Strengthening Physical Education Act of 2007 (bill HR 1224).

Popular culture

Simmons has become well known throughout North American culture, to the point that he has been referenced in many culture-based shows, be they animation, live-action or talk shows:

• A deleted scene in The Simpsons' episode "Burns' Heir" featured a robotic Richard Simmons used by Montgomery Burns as security. Simmons was planned to voice the character, but refused to voice a robotic version of himself. Dan Castellaneta voiced the robot instead. The scene was cut when it did not get a response from test audiences. The scene was instead shown in the later episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular."
• In Family Guy episode "Death Is a Bitch", a drunken Peter Griffin proves his immortality by taunting scary looking bikers with the questions "Hey, aren't you Richard Simmons?" and "Aren't you Richard Simmons' best friend, Richard Simmons?".
• Simmons was a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show in the 1990s. He refused to appear after Stern insulted him one too many times. Simmons finally reappeared on Stern's show on November 16, 2006.
• Simmons was also a frequent guest on Late Night with David Letterman (NBC) and The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS). On November 22, 2000, they had a falling out after an incident that occurred on that night's show. Simmons (while dressed as a turkey) was sprayed in the face by Letterman with a fire extinguisher after Simmons grabbed Letterman as if to hug or kiss him, causing Simmons to have a severe asthma attack. Simmons did not appear on the Letterman show for six years, finally returning on November 29, 2006. During that appearance, Letterman once again set Simmons up for a prank. While Richard Simmons was demonstrating a steamer branded with his name, Letterman insisted on placing a tray under the steamer which Simmons did not believe belonged there. When Simmons turned the steamer on, something in the tray exploded and started burning. Though initially scared, Simmons took the incident in fairly good nature, even joking that he "felt like Michael Jackson" (referring to a mishap where Jackson's hair was set on fire by a malfunctioning light.)
• An animated version of Simmons appeared in a Johnny Bravo episode as a man who used to bully Johnny when they were kids.
• In an episode of Rocko's Modern Life Rocko and Heffer went to a gym where a workout assistant resembled Richard Simmons. In fact, Richard Simmons voiced this character, evident in the credits. And that character returned in a TV commercial in the show in a commercial that said, "Sweatin in your undies." This second appearance did not feature a voice with the character.
• In the episode Waking Nightmare of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, a Richard Simmons is sent to wake up Mandy.
• In Legally Blonde: the Musical, the character of Elle Woods has a line referring to Simmons, saying "I'm not exactly trailer trash here, Richard Simmons is our neighbor!"
• He is shot to death in the short Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown.
• Simmons (or an impersonator, it is unclear which) appears on the Bob Rivers album More Twisted Christmas on two songs: "It's the Most Fattening Time of the Year" and on the "Buttcracker Suite."
• Simmons has been a guest on the US version of Whose Line is it Anyway?. He has also been impersonated on the show. One notable impersonation was during a game of Weird Newscasters, when Wayne Brady was to do the sports news in the style of Simmons.
• Simmons has appeared multiple times on The Glenn Beck Program on CNN Headline News.
• An episode of the anime Hoshi no Kirby features an exercise instructor Demon Beast that resembles Richard Simmons.

Print and media

Books

• Never Say Diet ISBN 0-517-40284-X
• Never Say Diet Cookbook
• The Better Body Book
• Reach for Fitness: A Special Book of Exercises for the Physically Challenged Warner Books 1986 ISBN 0-446-51302-4
• Deal-A-Meal Cookbook
• Richard Simmons' Never Give Up: Inspirations, Reflections, Stories of Hope Warner Books, 1984 ISBN 0-446-60085-7
• Farewell to Fat Atlantic Books 2002 ISBN 1-57719-102-1
• Sweetie Pie
• Still Hungry After All These Years: My Story Gt Pub Corp 1999 ISBN 1-57719-356-3
• The FoodMover Cookbook
• Cookin' on Broadway
• Steam Away the Pounds

Audio

Audio cassette

• Project Me (six tape set)
• Sweatin' and Sharin'
• Colors of Your Life (single tape)
• Colors of Your Life (six tape set)
• Take a Walk
• Take a Hike
• Take a Classical Walk
• Walk Across America
• Walkin' on Broadway
• Walk Around the World
• Never Give Up (book on tape, read by Simmons)

Compact discs

• Richard Picks the Hits, Volume 1
• Richard Picks the Hits, Volume 2
• Country Cardio
• Oh Happy Day
• Fitness Fiesta
• Wicked Workout
• Big Screen Burn
• Shimmy Into Shape
• In the Mood to Lose
• Classical Chillout

Vinyl record

• Reach (Elektra Records) (vinyl)

Visual media

DVDs

• Richard Simmons and the Silver Foxes
• Disco Sweat
• 60's Blast Off
• 80's Blast Off
• SuperSweatin': Party Off the Pounds
• SuperTonin': Totally Tonin
• SuperTonin': Totally Tonin' with Toning Rings
• Sit Tight
• Sweatin'to the Oldies
• Sweatin' to the Oldies 2
• Sweatin' to the Oldies 3
• Sweatin' to the Oldies 4
• Love Yourself and Win

Video cassette

• Everyday with Richard Simmons
• The Stomach Formula
• Get Started
• Reach for Fitness
• Richard Simmons and the Silver Foxes
• Sweatin' to the Oldies
• Sweatin' to the Oldies 2
• Sweatin' to the Oldies 3
• Sweat and Shout (also sold as Sweatin to the Oldies 4)
• Day By Day (Volumes 1-12)
• Pump and Sweat
• Step and Sweat
• Tone and Sweat
• Disco Sweat
• Stretchin' to the Classics
• Dance Your Pants Off!
• Tonin' Uptown
• Tonin' Downtown
• Groovin' In The House
• The Ab Formula
• No Ifs Ands or Butts
• Love to Stretch
• Blast Off
• Broadway Sweat
• Tone Up On Broadway
• Broadway Blast Off
• Platinum Sweat
• Sit Tight
• Latin Blast Off (also marketed as Sudar Mucho)
• Mega Mix Blast Off
• Mega Mix 2 Blast Off
• Disco Blast Off
• 60's Blast Off
• 80's Blast Off
• Blast and Tone

References

• Richard Simmons 2006 Interview on Sidewalks Entertainment
• Richard Simmons discusses his physical education campaign with education blogger Kevin Carey
• Richard Simmons audio interview on physical education at Education Week
• Interview with Richard Simmons
• Richard Simmons Pushes to Get Kids Active in School interview with USA Today.
• Fitness Guru Takes Message to Congress on NPR.

External links

• The official Richard Simmons website
• Richard Simmons at MySpace
• Richard Simmons Cruise to Lose at MySpace
• Richard Simmons is a Diet and Fitness Coach at AOL Coaches
• Richard Simmons at IMDb
• Richard Simmons at NNDB