Richard Simmons - Sweatin' With the Holies

 

"Everyone has a story that makes me stronger.  I know that the work I do is important and I enjoy it, but it is nice to hear the feedback of what we do to inspire others."

Admittedly, this blog post is something of a cheat.  When I first created Six Feet Under Hollywood, my goal was to showcase the photos I've taken on grave visits over the years.  I've never been to Richard Simmons's grave and I probably never will be, as it lies behind a locked gate with private member access.  

Recently however, a Facebook friend of mine who runs the fantastic Dearly Departed website gained access and documented Richard's grave.  It was just too good not to share.

First, a quick recap.  Richard Simmons was born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans, Louisiana on July 12, 1948.  He was the self-described son of "show-business parents."  When he later entered show business himself, he adopted the name Richard, as a way of thanking the uncle who paid his college tuition.

From the start, Richard struggled with obesity, eventually topping out at 268 pounds.  He was finally motivated to lose weight when someone placed an anonymous note on his car.  It read "fat people die young.  Please don't die."

After graduation, Richard moved to Beverly Hills, where he eventually opened his first exercise studio - The Anatomy Asylum.  He provided his students with a supportive atmosphere while encouraging smaller portions.  His popularity continued to grow, eventually catching the eye of Hollywood casting agents.  He landed his first role on the soap opera General Hospital, in which he played himself for four years.  This led to his own workout series, the aptly-titled Richard Simmons Show, which ran from 1980 to 1984 and earned him multiple daytime Emmy awards.  He followed it up with a five-volume video series called Sweatin' to the Oldies.

By 2024, Richard had become something of a recluse, having giving up public appearances and seldom leaving his home.  In March of that year, he drew speculation when he took to Twitter and encouraged his followers to embrace every day.  He died four months later on July 13th due to complications from a fall, with heart disease as a contributing factor.  He was 76 years old.

Richard Simmons was laid to rest in his trademark exercise outfit at Pierce Brothers Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.  While this park usually caters to celebrities and their fans, Richard opted to be buried in a private section.  The inscription, which reads "forever sweatin' with the holies," pays tribute to his home video empire.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Richard, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• As mentioned above, YouTuber Scott Michaels visited the grave for his Dearly Departed channel.  Check out the video on YouTube.  Bonus: Scott cooks a pizza in Richard's Cuisinart.
  
  
• As an obese college student, weighing 268 pounds, Richard appeared in two Federico Fellini films, Satyricon (1968) and The Clowns (1970).  
  
  
• In 2006, Richard was inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame.  That same year, actress Marilu Henner was also recognized.
  
  
• Richard once marketed his own line of dolls on the Home Shopping Network.  Interested?  You can find some for sale on eBay.