Despite being out of the spotlight in recent years, the late fitness guru Richard Simmons shared a poignant birthday message to his fans the day before he died that has since gone viral.
Simmons shared some sweet childhood memories along with a photo on Facebook to celebrate his 76th birthday, one day before his tragic death.
He wrote:
"The celebration of Birthdays. Birthday cakes and candles were created by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Later on someone said let’s bring gifts to the birthday person…that was a good idea. In 1893 two sisters named Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill wrote the song Happy Birthday to you."
"If the song was played on tv ,radio, or a movie these sisters collected a royalty. Now it is public domain. My father was born March 6, he was a Pisces. My mother was born July 28, she was a Leo. Lenny was born on October 30 and he is a Scorpio. I was born on this day July 12. and I am a cancer with a chocolate rising."
"Enclosed in this message is a picture of me turning one. My mom never baked our birthday cakes. She bought them from different bakeries. One year I had a birthday cake that was….welll not my style. It was a chocolate cake with cowboys and Indians fighting each other."
"There was green icing made to look like grass and a white Pickett fence around the whole cake. Maybe it had a message but I didn’t get it."
Richard Simmons/Facebook
He added:
"Lenny went on Royal street to a small store that sold stamps. He would put the stamps in binders that he bought and would never let me touch them. One night while Lenny was sleeping I thought about licking them then placing them back in the plastic folders …but I didn’t. He would spend hours looking at these stamps."
"I am sure you were wondering what I did with my money. There was a small jewelry store next to a church. When we walked by, my mom Shirley would say isn’t that the most beautiful ring. It was quite a big smoky topaz ring. I went in and put that ring on layaway."
"I did give them some of the silver dollars and when I made money from the praline store I would bring that money in to the jewelry shop. Then the big day came. The jeweler was standing there with a package in his hand. It was a maroon box and he opened it up to show me the smoky topaz ring. It was the most beautiful thing I ever saw."
The jeweler "took the maroon ring case and placed it in a white box that was wrapped in gold paper with a white bow on top," Simmons recalled, and he went home and presented it to his mother, describing it as "a present fit for a queen.”
Simmons said he and his brother "always received clothes for our birthday" and that once he became successful, he "bought my father cotton handkerchiefs with an S monogram as well as a cologne made with Patchouli" and purchased his mother "a fragrance by Germaine Monteil called Royal Secret."
He said he sent them checks each month so they could buy "whatever they wanted."
He concluded:
"When I taught class at Slimmons, on my birthday they would have special cakes made for me. One was a sheet cake airbrushed with my picture on it…….one was a Barbie doll and her dress was the cake……also what about that cake with a big Disco ball on top."
"It was my birthday when we taped Groovin in the House . …that one was a three dimensional three foot cake in the shape of one of my Dalmatians … You know I cried."
"So many of you have sent me birthday wishes on my Facebook and other platforms. I really appreciate that. I don’t know when your birthday is but I wish you a happy and healthy birthday!"
You can see his post below.
Simmons also shared a brief message thanking well-wishers on X, formerly Twitter, writing:
"Thank you…I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life! I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday. Love, Richard."
You can see his post below.
Many were moved by Simmons' recollections and paid tribute.
Simmons gained fame in the 1980s as a motivational speaker and weight loss instructor known for his personal health journey. He starred in his own exercise show and sold millions of Sweatin’ to the Oldies aerobics videos and DVDs while operating a fitness studio in Los Angeles.
The fitness guru, who was also a successful author and made many appearances on television, was reclusive in later years.
The Medical Examiner’s Office announced that Simmons' cause of death has been deferred, indicating that further investigation and additional testing are required. It may take up to three months to determine the cause of death.
