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  First Edition: October 2021

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  Library of Congress Control Number: 2021937577

  ISBNs: 978-0-7624-7541-4 (hardcover), 978-0-7624-7539-1 (ebook)

  Richard Simmons Stock photo credits from Getty: here, here: Fairfax Media Archives; here: Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer; here: Harry Langdon /Archive Photos Collection; Here: Ron Galella Collection; Pae 61: Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer /Moviepix Collection; here: MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images; here: Michael Loccisano / FilmMagic; here: Imeh Akpanudosen / Getty Images Entertainment; here: Bobby Bank / WireImage; here: Jonathan Leibson / WireImage; here: Evan Hurd Photography / Sygma; here: MCT / Tribune News Service; here: Bettmann; here: Paul Morigi / WireImage; here: (top) Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call, Inc. (right, bottom) Tim Sloan / AFP; Here: Ron Galella; here: Tamarra / Getty Images Entertainment; here: (both images) Ray Tamarra / Getty Images Entertainment; here: Laura Cavanaugh / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment

  The following images are copyright © by Getty Images Plus collection by the following contributers: voyata (here); surachetkhamsuk (red glitter); Chinnapong (silver glitter); nitrub (here); FotoMaximum (here,here); Dimitris66 (here); belov1409 (here); vovik_mar (here, here); LdF (here); Alexandra Segova (here, here); laimdota (here, here); bazilfoto (here, here); jamroen (here); CGiHeart (here); chaiyapruek2520 (page 219)

  E3-20210813-JV-NF-ORI

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Introduction

  Richard’s Story

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  RICHARD SIMMONS may be best-known to today’s audiences as an enigmatic and elusive sprite with a hairdo as iconic as his wardrobe of short shorts and tank tops. But ask any one of the thousands who have taken his exercise classes, or the countless millions who have met him or seen him in person or on television, and they will tell you that there’s so much more to Richard than meets the eye. Richard’s words, and the sincerity he put behind them, changed peoples’ lives. So it’s perhaps those folks who were inspired to take control of their lives who truly understand who Richard is, and what he believes. He believes that rather than filling your stomach with empty calories, you need to fill your heart with love. He believes that rather than wasting energy with worry or anxiety, you should channel your energy into exercising your body and your spirit. But, most importantly, Richard believes in you.

  Whether it was through his exercise classes, television shows, books, Sweatin’ to the Oldies videos, Deal-a-Meal weight loss program, or even as a headliner on national mall tours or international cruises, Richard’s workouts worked out more than muscles; they allowed his fans—his friends—to shed not only pounds, but the emotional baggage that kept them too physically and spiritually weighed down to achieve their goals. Because, at the end of the day—or the class—it wasn’t about counting steps, it was about taking the steps to make a better, more fulfilling, and more authentic life.

  And the reason millions of fans have been successful over the course of Richard’s 40-plus years in the spotlight is not just because Richard believed they could be, but because he helped them believe in their own success, too. They’ve been able to move their bodies to shed pounds, start new careers, grow their families, and become active, engaged, and joyful participants in their own lives—and in the lives of their family and friends.

  BEFORE HE ENCOURAGED OTHERS TO SWEAT TO THE OLDIES, Richard Simmons sweated in the heat and humidity of New Orleans’ French Quarter, where he was born to Shirley and Leonard Simmons as Milton Teagle Simmons, and (French) bread on a steady diet of spicy jazz and sweet desserts. By Richard’s own account, the Simmons family too often equated food with love, and the ritualization of mealtimes in the household—especially the meticulously planned, multicourse suppers young Milton and his older brother Lenny enjoyed—would rival the elaborate rituals occurring during any religious service. By the time he reached high school, Milton weighed more than 250 pounds and was struggling.

  Though the name “Milton” may have been perfect for an accountant, and his weight might have been perfect for a football player, both were ill-suited to the boy’s more outgoing and artistic personality. He found himself unable to take full advantage of the active lifestyle enjoyed by most of his peers. And though a portion of his weight was made up of several French Markets’ worth of smarts and sass, it was mostly just fat—fat that resulted from a fundamentally dysfunctional relationship with food. He felt stuck. In his city, in his body, and in his mind-set. So, he decided to make some changes.

  First was changing his name. He never felt like a Milton—whatever a Milton was supposed to feel like—so he decided that he would be called “Richard,” after his beloved uncle. His family was supportive of the decision (perhaps in hopes that small changes would lead him to be less argumentative with his father and, maybe, less irreverent) and encouraged him to make other positive changes. Inspired by his friend’s mother, Richard decided to try to lose weight by attending local Weight Watchers meetings. But after some time, he found their methods less motivating than they were disheartening, so he quit. Richard came to realize that he wouldn’t be able to rely on others to show him a path for success. He would have to look within himself to feel—and be—truly motivated to make the positive changes that would grant him control over his weight, his life, and his destiny.

  In 1973, without a job or much of a plan, Richard packed his bags and moved west to Los Angeles to make his own way in the world. He spent his days working in restaurants and his off-hours trying to find a comfortable place to exercise and shed the pounds he had carried with him from New Orleans. Unfortunately, most of the gyms and studios at the time catered to an already-fit clientele and were not particularly welcoming to those whose bodies did not reflect a more traditional physical ideal. It was clear to Richard that overweight people were, in fact, an underserved community, and it reminded him of how he felt—and the lessons he learned—back in New Orleans. He knew he could not look to others, but instead needed to dig deep within himself to be the change he wanted to see in himself, and the world.

  In 1974, Richard opened his first exercise studio, the Anatomy Asylum. Decades before the terms “body positivity” and “safe space” were ever coined, the budding fitness guru was a pioneer in establishing the spirit of those now-ubiquitous phrases. Richard worked with medical professionals to ensure that he offered people of all shapes and sizes, all fitness levels, an
d all ages, a place where they could feel supported and motivated to exercise their way toward reaching their health and fitness goals. Before long, he changed the studio’s name to Slimmons, but the classes he offered remained fun, energetic, and thoughtful. Nobody was ever shamed for not losing weight. Instead, Richard tried to find novel ways to burn calories and keep dieters focused on their goals. He knew that the only true motivation for getting people to make changes in their life was to get them to believe that they were “worth it.” Everyone, Richard believed, was special, and deserving of as much health, love, and attention as anyone else. With this ethos permeating every class, members became family and friends who provided one another with ongoing emotional support, and, by way of their clear, measurable weight loss, Richard himself saw proof that his methods worked.

  Richard leading a class in 1978

  Richard with an exercise class in 1983

  Before long, the media took notice of Richard’s ethos, incomparable personality, and the remarkable results coming out of his exercise studio. The fitness instructor was soon a featured guest on news and talk programs, and even game shows. Then, in 1980, he got his own television program: The Richard Simmons Show. Part talk show, part at-home exercise class, part motivational session, the program gave Richard a platform to expand his reach and share his singular brand of humor, positivity, and exercises with millions of new fans across the world.

  Over the years, Richard was able to further expand his reach through additional television and media appearances (including and especially as a headline-making guest on David Letterman and other talk shows), nationwide mall tours, a series of successful cruises, a line of videotapes for at-home workouts, calorie-counting programs, and more. Richard was also a pioneer on social media, and actively engaged with his fans via his website and other online platforms. Recognizing that human connection is, perhaps, the greatest gift one can give, Richard logged countless hours calling people who contacted him to make sure they were all right, on track, and know that they have his support.

  Though he would certainly attribute any weight loss success to the person who put in the sweat, it’s estimated that, over the years, Richard has helped people lose more than three million pounds. But anyone who has been touched by Richard’s honest love for his fellow human beings—through their good times and bad—would certainly agree that they would never have been able to achieve their success without his spirit and unparalleled energy supporting them along the way.

  It’s Richard’s determination to make the world a better place that has made him one of the most iconic and best-loved personalities in the world—a force that not only brought love and laughter to untold millions, but also helped to motivate each and every one of those people to make their own positive, life-affirming changes. Like ripples in a pond, Richard Simmons has radiated outward to enlighten, and lighten, the world around him.

  This collection of some of Richard’s most wise and witty words is intended to continue his life’s work.

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  Richard Simmons, Remember to Sparkle!

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