Richard Simmons’s brother Lenny Simmons is reflecting on the late star’s legacy of advocating for “better, healthier lives” for people around the world. Richard is was found dead in his home on Saturday.. The eccentric fitness guru celebrated his birthday on Friday at the age of 76.
“What you see in interviews, what you see in his workout videos, that’s the way he is. He doesn’t shut anything down,” Lenny told ET’s Niche of his brother Al Turner. “That’s the way he talked to people. He loved hugging people. I mean, he did things for people that I didn’t think other people would do… He would actually go visit people who were extremely obese. people and try to help them them.
Looking back on their personal relationship, Lenny added, “He was even patient with me even though I was the older brother. I always looked up to him because I said he was the real deal. He was someone that everyone liked and everyone loved. Beloved person.
Fitness guru Richard dies one day after celebrating his 76th birthday Bring to Facebook Sharing a throwback photo of him celebrating his first birthday. He also reflected on the birthday cakes, birthday cards he made in elementary school and the gifts he and Lenny would receive on their special days.
“So many of you have sent me birthday wishes on my Facebook and other platforms. I really appreciate it,” Richards wrote in his post. “I don’t know when your birthday is, but I wish you a happy and healthy birthday!”
Lenny explained that he had “just spoken to Richard about his birthday,” which made a phone call the next day from his brother’s live-in housekeeper, Teresa Revels, all the more shocking.
“The phone rang and I didn’t know why she was calling. I was just talking to my brother yesterday about his birthday, which also happens to be our wedding anniversary, and she started crying and said, ‘Your brother, I want to He left,” he recalled.
“It was really shocking. He wasn’t feeling well that day because he said he thought he had food poisoning, but he was getting better and was going to bed a little earlier. So we didn’t really think anything about it,” Lay said. Ni shared. “We all have bad days sometimes, you know, not feeling good, and I was shocked when she called me. I called my wife, Kathy, and I said, ‘You need to come here. You need to hear what [Teresa’s] explain. It’s really… my soul is just [felt] sucked [out of my body]”.
Richard became a fitness and lifestyle health icon in the 1970s. In 1974, he opened his own fitness studio, Slimmons, in Beverly Hills, California, and released 65 workout videos, including “Sweatin’ to the Oldies,” “Dance Your Pants Off” and “Sit Tight.” Exercises designed for people who cannot stand).
In addition to his successful fitness videos, Richard has written several books, including the 1980 New York Times bestseller, Never talk about diethis 1999 biography, Still hungry after all these years: my storyand three cookbooks.
Richard’s career also branched into television. From 1980 to 1984, he hosted the Emmy Award-winning talk show, the richard simmons showand is a frequent visitor general Hospital.
Lenny told the Economic Times that the family was “very proud” of Richard as he began to realize his dream in California. “When he came to California, he knew absolutely no one. He was working as a waiter in a restaurant… We were so proud of him. I think my dad, he really didn’t become famous. [in show business], [lived] Vicariously lived my brother’s life. My mother, who is in show business, feels the same way. They never said to us, “We want you to go into show business.” It just happened.
“But we are very proud of him. He was very generous to us. My parents didn’t make a lot of money, but he took care of them. I lived with them, but he made their lives more special,” Lenny added. “Both of them were on his TV show. We lost my father and my mother in 1983 and 1999 respectively and we were able to get copies of the shows they were on. So I really miss my parents every time , I can wear it to see them and hear them, and now I can do the same for my brother.
Richard continued to teach at Slimons until February 2014, when he completely retired from public view.
In March 2016, Richard responded to fans’ concerns about his health Exclusive phone interview with ET. “I love everyone who worries about me,” he said. “But now it’s time for me to spend some time alone.”
“This is the life I want now,” he added. “To all of you who are worried about me, please don’t worry. If I get into any trouble, if I get hurt in any way, I’m here to help. It’s time for Richard Simmons to take care of me.” Richard Simmons Simmons.
Although Richard firmly opposed verbally He was involved in Pauly Shore’s unauthorized biopic of him, court jester, Lenny shared that his brother is making a documentary about his life.
“I think he wanted to tell his story like he wanted a Broadway play. He wanted a documentary to tell people that there is hope in the world and you can do it,” Lenny explains. “You can work hard, you can lose weight. That’s why he wanted to tell this story. I think when you get older, you start to think about what your legacy is going to be, and he wanted his legacy to be [to be that]. He knows he won’t live forever [and] Unfortunately, he didn’t live as long as we prayed he would.
He continued, “But he wanted people to know what people could do to live better, healthier lives… He was really excited about it, he said. He called me and said, ‘Lenny, they want to To make a documentary about my life. He said, “I just do it because I want people to know that life is important to everyone, and my life can help them think about how they can live a better life.” “
“I prayed that the documentary would still get made. I told my wife, I said, ‘I would be honored to do anything I can for this documentary,'” Lenny said.
Following Simmons’ death, other friends and influential figures paid their respects. Lenny told the Economic Times he couldn’t believe there were “thousands” of tributes to his brother on social media.
