NEW ORLEANS — Richard Simmons's contagious energy earned him loving fans worldwide, for encouraging people to count their blessings, love themselves, and get up and move.
And next month, his beloved home of New Orleans, will take his message to the streets, as they say goodbye one last time.
Now the Simmons family has an exclusive announcement, about a farewell, fit for a fitness king.
Richard Simmons may have followed his tremendous career to Los Angeles, but his heart never left his home and those he loved in New Orleans.
“He loved people," said Lenny Simmons, Richard’s brother. "He could walk down Royal Street, people would say, ‘Hi Richard.’ He'd go over and give them a hug,".
Buried in an L.A. cemetery near Marilyn Monroe, there was a small family funeral service, but now the family is announcing the real celebration of life.
“We wanted a bigger celebration of life for him," said Cathy Simmons, Richard’s sister-in-law. "We wanted to make it happy. We'd love for it to go nationwide,” she said.
Saturday, Oct. 5, you are invited to mass at St. Louis Cathedral. That's where Richard went to grammar school.
Then there will be a Sweatin' to the Oldies-style, short workout out in front of the church. After that, a second line will wind its way from Jackson Square, up Decatur Street, turning on Bienville Street, and then to Bourbon Street, where there will be more performers at Musical Legends Park.
The French Quarter will always be his home.
It was in the 900 block of St. Louis Street in the French Quarter where Richard Simmons grew up. He was heavy as a child and was bullied. That led him to go to Washington, D.C., and testify in front of a congressional committee about how important PE was in the schools so that other children wouldn't suffer his same fate.
“He was very much against bullying because he was bullied. He was bullied because of his size, but we want to do some sort of, establish a foundation in his name to go forward with that,” said Cathy Simmons.
And what you may not know about the fitness enthusiast is that he wrote poetry. Some already have been put to music and recorded. In the mass, you will hear Richard sing one he wrote called, “I Pray.”
‘“I Pray”’ is things that he prays for and things that are important to him, and he wants to encourage people to live the golden rule and keep God in your life,” said Cathy Simmons.
Depending on your age you met him, you may have called him Dickey, Milton, or Richard, But celebrity never changed him, nor did it change his love of playing practical jokes. Like when he told Cathy, his sister-in-law he mailed her two “karat” earrings. She thought he meant diamonds. They were plastic carrots.
Meanwhile, the outpouring on social media has been in the tens of thousands.
“I read every single one of them because I said this helped me,” said Lenny.
And as his brother Lenny says, Richard's celebrity and video will forever continue his mission.
“We hope that people will still use what he did, because the exercises that he did, the music that he did, to get them making you feel happy, making you feel good about yourself, doesn't have to go away, because he's in Heaven,” added Lenny.
The mass is first come, first served until St. Louis Cathedral reaches capacity.
The first thousand people will get special commemorative fans.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.