New Orleans native and fitness guru Richard Simmons passes away at 76

Fitness guru and New Orleans native Richard Simmons passed away on Saturday at 76. Simmons was born in New Orleans in 1948 and was an overweight child, but he became a cultural phenomenon because of his energetic personality displayed in his exercise videos.

“I think what Richard brought to the table was charisma and he tended to motivate people that didn’t think they could do it,” Tulane Sports Performance Manager Mackie Shilstone said.

Simmons, who was once a student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, was known worldwide for his “Sweatin to the Oldies” aerobics videos.

Simmons, who got to be 200 pounds as a child, renamed himself Richard when he was ten years old to help improve his self-image. He lived the first 18 years of his in the French Quarter.

Simmonds moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s and developed an interest in fitness. He opened an exercise studio called the Anatomy Asylum and Shilstone says Simmons used mass media to turn himself into a fitness icon.

“Because he lived out in L.A. he was able to get more of a global market, but he came up the hard way, he paid his dues.” Shilstone said.

Simmons helped people lose weight for 35 years and Shilstone says there will never be anyone like him again.

“Richard Simmons really transformed America’s image of fitness and made it fun,” Shilstone said.