Weeks before his death, Richard Simmons was riding high on the possibility of creating a Broadway musical about his life.
We reported on May 22 that the fitness pioneer — who was found dead on Saturday at age 76 — had posted on Facebook: “I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who is an attorney and manages famous artists in music… She wants to do an interactive Broadway show about my life.”
We reported that the planned show would create an open space near the stage where theatergoers could join in on workout dance numbers.
After our story about the potential musical ran. Simmons emailed us a sweet note to say: “I am honored that you wrote about me. You would not believe the response that your words have gotten.”
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The exercise whiz graciously added, “Some have asked if they could invest in the show. Others have asked if they could write music for the show. I let them know it is in the early stages. Thank you again for making time for me in your column.”
Simmons had previously told us: “I am so excited about the prospect of my own Broadway show. I have so many ideas and I’m writing them all down … Broadway is in my blood!”
He’d turned 76 the day before his death, and previously told People about his birthday: “I am grateful that I’m here, that I am alive for another day. I’ll spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is to help people.”
In March, the “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” instructor told his Facebook followers that he had been diagnosed with skin cancer.
News of the diagnosis came a day after Simmons worried fans by saying he was “dying.”
But he later backtracked and apologized for any “confusion” — saying “it was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have.”
Simmons released dozens of fitness tapes including “Sweatin’ to the Oldies,” “Party off the Pounds,” “Blast Off,” “Pump and Sweat” “Tonin Uptown,” “Tonin Downtown,” and more throughout his career before he stepped back from the spotlight a decade ago.
