By the time he graduated from high school in the 1960s, Richard Simmons clocked in at nearly 270 pounds. A few years later, he received an anonymous note on the windshield of his car that read, “Dear Richard: Fat people die young. Please don’t die.” He tried everything from fad diets to laxatives to slim down. He even stopped consuming food altogether, dropping 215 pounds in about two months and winding up in the hospital before deciding to pursue a balanced lifestyle of moderate eating and exercise. The New Orleans native subsequently headed to the West Coast to share his inspiring journey as a self-proclaimed “former fatty” via classes and seminars at his Anatomy Asylum turned Slimmons studio/eatery in Beverly Hills, where his clients ranged from Barbra Streisand to Paul Newman.
The frizzy-haired, Dolphin short- and sparkling tank top-wearing “Pied piper of pounds” went on to help millions of overweight men and women of all shapes and sizes lose more than 3 million pounds via his custom meal plans and fun and energetic workout routines. He created more than 65 aerobics videos that sold upward of 20 million copies—think Sweatin’ to the Oldies, Dance Your Pants Off, and Disco Sweat, just to name a few. His first book, Never-Say-Diet, hit The New York Times bestseller list; he also appeared on numerous TV and radio programs, including stints as himself on General Hospital and Arrested Development, and hosted his own nationally syndicated talk show.
A two-way fireplace in the living room connects on the other side to a light-filled music room.
Marcelo Lagos Photography
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In the early ’80s, his success enabled him to purchase an impressive home above the Sunset Strip in the Hollywood Hills for a reported $670,000. He eventually withdrew to the Colonial abode around 2014 and was rarely seen in the public eye afterward, closing his studio in 2016 and keeping up with his fans and encouraging them to “enjoy your life to the fullest” via Facebook. Now, after his death last July, just one day after his 76th birthday, his longtime refuge has popped up for sale at a speck under $7 million. John A. Lucy of Keller Williams Hollywood Hills holds the listing, which is being marketed as a “one-of-a-kind opportunity to own a landmark home or construct a new masterpiece.”
Built way back in the ’30s and personalized by Simmons during his tenure, the cream and white premises are tucked away behind walls and a gated motor court amid a hillside spanning over half an acre. A stately columned portico entryway flows inside, where four bedrooms and five baths are spread across a little more than 4,100 square feet of living space on multiple levels.
The four-room primary suite is highlighted by a cherub-lined bath and second-floor gym.
Marcelo Lagos Photography
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Highlights include a living room anchored by a two-way fireplace that connects on the other side to a music room, as well as a formal dining room and an updated kitchen outfitted with Thermador appliances and a breakfast nook. A curving pink-carpeted staircase lined with painted cherubs leads upstairs, where the four-room, double-height primary suite is spotlighted by a fireside bedroom with a private balcony, a large dressing area, a bath sporting a spa tub and Juliette balcony, and a lofty gym that still retains its Keiser exercise equipment.
Elsewhere is a secondary guest suite and a study, as well as a flexible lower-level space with its own entrance. The amenities continue among the garden-encased grounds, where an expansive veranda steps down to an eye-catching circular pool and pool house beyond. There’s also a detached two-car garage.
Click here for more photos of the Hollywood Hills residence.
Marcelo Lagos
Source: Luxury - robbreport.com
