From his flashy workout clothes to his sparkly personality, Richard Simmons was one-of-a-kind. The fitness superstar transformed exercise and weight loss from torture into fun through aerobics for millions of Americans from the late 1970s to the 1990s.

During his career, Simmons released 65 fitness videos and sold a whopping 200 million copies, according to his website.

His life was unfortunately cut short on July 13, 2024. Just one day after he turned 76, his family shared that Simmons died from complications related to recent falls, as well as heart disease. Two years after his death, his fans are still honoring his memory.

Who was Richard Simmons?

Born Milton Teagle “Richard” Simmons, the fitness personality grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. He sold pralines and ate a diet rich in lard and desserts. By the time he graduated high school, he weighed 268 pounds.

Simmons told the New Orleans Times-Picayune in 1983 (via People), “I mean I was mucho big. You know how they teach you early on that ‘Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you?’ Well that’s a lie. But who has the last laugh now?”

Simmons began to pursue a career in show business after he was cast as an extra in director Federico Fellini’s 1969 film Fellini Satyricon. But it was an anonymous letter that changed his life. He told The Associated Press in 1982, “One dark,........

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