Richard Simmons’ final interview, two days before his death (Exclusive)

As Richard Simmons sang:Happy Birthday…Me…” It was the day before he turned 76 and two days before the fitness and diet legend died of apparent natural causes at his Los Angeles home on July 13. He was also, inexplicably, serenading himself while imitating Marilyn Monroe. And as has been the case for the past 50 years, no one has been laughing more than Richard Simmons. “I will always be the court jester,” Simmons told People magazine in a rare exclusive phone interview, his first since his abrupt retirement from public life in 2014.

His reclusive life these days is a stark departure from the Richard Simmons his fans knew and adored. Raised in New Orleans, Simmons struggled with weight issues from an early age (he weighed 268 pounds when he graduated from high school in 1966). The fitness showman first rose to fame in Los Angeles, where he opened La Farge and the Anatomy Asylum, a health food restaurant and exercise studio, in 1974.

It was the start of a fitness empire that has sold more than 20 million copies through nine books (two of which are bestsellers), the Deal-a-Meal and Food Movers diet plans, infomercials and workout videos (including “Sweatin’ to the Oldies”). general HospitalSimmons hosted his own talk show in the ’80s, becoming a favorite guest on the likes of David Letterman and Rosie O’Donnell. With his trademark crown of curls, rhinestone-covered tank tops, dolphin shorts and tube socks, Simmons was a maniacal, high-kicking, arm-waving icon and a beacon of hope for millions of fans. “I’m always goofing around,” he told People magazine. “When the curtain goes up, I’m there to make people happy.”

It was also a role he took very seriously. “Here, I get up every day and help people,” he added quietly. “Because my job is very serious.” Before his death, his jovial identity was shrouded in mystery; his whereabouts and even safety were questioned. People close to Simmons say one reason he was reclusive was because he had undergone knee surgery and needed a second one but refused.

But Simmons says she hasn’t disappeared. She’s been emailing fans and friends (“I answer 100 emails a day”) and calling people in need. She also spoke about the skin cancer she had removed earlier this year. “I had basal cell carcinoma, it was scary, but it didn’t come back. There are so many people out there who have cancer,” she added. “I call them, I sing them songs: ‘You can get through this. You just have to believe in it.'”

Just a few months earlier, he’d been working on a musical with composer Patrick Leonard. He was excited about the future, but even more so, he was looking forward to the day ahead. By phone, he was upbeat and planning his comeback. “I’m happy to be alive for another day,” he said, adding that he’ll be celebrating his birthday with “one candle on a zucchini. You know I’m a vegetarian.”

He has also been attempting to re-enter more public life, making statements on Facebook and YouTube over the past year.today “Today is a great day,” he said, “but nothing out of the ordinary. I woke up this morning. I said a prayer, I counted my blessings, and then I went to work, you know? And I wrote some texts, I answered some emails. And if the emails are bad, I’ll even get some phone numbers and call them. I feel great because I’m helping people.” Below, excerpts from Simmons’ emotional and candid interview:

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People say you disappeared, but that’s not true – you’ve been quietly helping people all these years.

Well, I decided to retire because my body was telling me I needed to retire. I spent some time looking back at my life, all the books I’d written, all the videos, etc. I didn’t think, “Oh, look what I’ve done.” My thought was, “Oh, look how many people I’ve helped.”

Where did this spirit, this desire to help others come from?

My parents instilled that in me. They didn’t have much money in New Orleans. They weren’t Catholic, but I went to a Catholic school three blocks away. And I fell in love with the nuns. I’d never met a nun in my life. One of the nuns decided to leave the order, and she had nowhere to go. She had a little suitcase with, like, two sets of clothes in it. So where did she go? She went to my house. My mom gave her her clothes. My dad gave her money for a Greyhound bus ticket to go home. I’ve always been a caring person.

People have always been open to you.

It’s true, when I did in-person speaking sessions at the mall, I taught a 45-minute class, and people lined up to get their autographs. But they didn’t just want an autograph; they wanted to tell me their whole story, because they thought no one would listen to them. And I sat there and held their hands, and we did that for about three hours, until no one left.

Richard, that really is your achievement. You really connect with people and that’s what makes you a legend. What does the word “legend” make you feel?

I don’t hear that at all. I don’t hear the word legend, I don’t hear the word icon. I’ve never lived the celebrity life. I’ve never thought of myself as a celebrity. People don’t know this, but I’m a really shy, kind of introverted person. But when the curtain goes up, it’s a different story. I’m here to make people happy. But the compliments I get in emails. Today, we probably respond to over 100 emails. And they’ll say, “I’m your biggest fan.” I just respond and say, “Don’t say that. I’m a person just like you. I know you’re doing good things, too.”

But if you take a moment to look back, you can see what you’ve accomplished and what you’ve changed in terms of how we talk about fitness and nutrition, right?

Yes, I can. I’m proud of myself. When I wanted to open a salad bar in my house, [fitness] The studio was a one-of-a-kind space. There was no space for fat people to feel comfortable. I couldn’t believe it. I had to pinch myself. So many people came and I just tried to teach a great class and make them a great salad. And it was general HospitalOne day I was making salads and the next I was on a soap opera with Genie Francis and Tony Geary. Then I got my own show and went into infomercials. Then I packed up my aerobics shoes and hit the road for 200 days over the course of 35 years.

The weight loss and fitness industry has changed a lot recently. Can you compare and contrast then with now?

Well, when I retired, I thought someone would take my place, open a studio for people who needed to lose weight or who didn’t feel good about themselves, but no one did. I mean, there was always a place for healthy people.

Jane Fonda’s studio is about three miles from my house, and I’ve always been a fan of hers, so one day I went to her class dressed in a brown wig, mustache, glasses, a gray sweatshirt, and heather gray pants. She had no idea it was me. She was an amazing teacher.

What do you think about weight loss drugs and weight loss surgery?

You know, today, some people have weight loss surgery. It’s none of my business. If they tell me, it’s none of my business. If someone has weight loss surgery, it’s none of my business. I just hope it helps them. You know, once you reach a certain age, it’s pretty hard to lose weight. I’ve never encouraged people to do anything false. When I did Deal-a-Meal and Food Movers, [weight-loss plans]It was all based around food groups, and when I did exercise classes it was all low impact movements set to classic tunes that no one had ever used in a workout before.

But whatever I did as a performer, I was always, for lack of a better word, playing myself.

When I made my first video, people probably thought I was stupid and a little weird, but they accepted that I was just a regular guy, nothing special except for my sense of humor. When I was working as a waiter for Derrick, [a now-closed restaurant in L.A.]I was really funny and made everyone laugh. There were no menus so I read them out loud to them. If there was a guy at the table, I would sit on his lap.

You were also popular on talk shows like David Letterman.

Well, I knew I gave Mr. Letterman a great show, great ratings! And I got emails every day saying, “Please come back to Howard Stern.”

You’ve always described yourself as a court jester.

It always is. Think back to when you were in elementary school and you were bullied for being overweight. [like me]Humor is your defense. I was in the schoolyard, I think I was in the sixth grade, and a guy, a boy who was really tall for his age, hit me in the back of the head with a baseball bat. I fell to the floor, and the nuns came out and asked if I was OK and sent me home.

About 25 years later, I was shopping in New Orleans and this man with a long beard and overalls came up to me with his wife and said, “You don’t remember me, but I’m the one who hit you over the head with a baseball bat,” and I said, “Will you ever forgive me?” And his wife started crying, and he came over and hugged me, and that meant a lot to me.

What would you say to someone who is really struggling?

It’s shocking. Especially [people I talk to] You’re young and you feel unaccepted, you feel unloved, and you want to kill yourself. Believe me, I’ve made those calls, and I said, “No, no, no, no. God has determined your day and your day of death. You just have to accept it and move on.”

You’ve been open about your own struggles with bullying – what gave you the strength to keep going during your darkest times?

I’ve always bounced back because I always thought of myself as a good person. And the people who bullied me had their own issues. And I’ve always lived that way. I have a saying: Kindness lives inside all of us. We just need to let it out.

And now you’re in New Orleans, general Hospital, Work up a sweat with some oldiesA Broadway show? Hopefully it includes the famous tank top and shorts.

I wrote 14 songs for the Broadway show, and I work with this amazing guy named Patrick Leonard. I don’t know if you know his name, but he’s written songs for Madonna and Elton John. He’s one of the big artists. We talk about twice a week. I write the lyrics and he writes the music. The whole show is about my life, from when I was a kid selling pralines in a candy shop in New Orleans to when I decided to retire. Every week I write an audio. This week is this one. Can I read it?

Of course you can.

How do we deal with loss? Our hearts hurt so much. Some of us shed tears, others stare into the sky. Saying goodbye is so hard. But we know that when it is our time to depart, our beautiful angels will be smiling and greeting us.

Richard, we missed you. Your fans, all of us. You know that, don’t you?

I know you all miss me, and I miss you too, but we can still connect through phone calls and emails, and I do leave the house every now and then, but I’m in disguise.