Richard Simmons
Richard Simmons was born Milton Simmons on July12, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a severely overweight child, that suffered abuse from his peers and an unhappy relationship with his family. He spent much of his youth battling obesity, through diet drugs and following many unhealthy fitness fads.
In 1973 he moved to Los Angeles and opened a weight loss center that catered to severely overweight people and he used the name Richard Simmons. His program was unique in that most L.A. weight loss companies were advertising their programs to people looking to be a size 4, while his center was offering realistic goals for people considered obese. It was during the 70's fitness craze that Richard really made a name for himself as a fitness guru. His off-beat humor and boundless energy and excitement made him a popular feature on talk-shows and for personal appearances.
His hyperactive personality and huge public following allowed him to create and star in his own daytime TV program. The Richard Simmons Show aired for four seasons on network television.
Richard is well known for his exercise videos, diet programs, self-help books, cook books, and his commitment to helping people lose weight.
Richard Simmons makes nearly 300 personal appearances each year and maintains a very private personal life.