Dr. Ruth and Richard Simmons: The Original Health Influencers
In the span of about 24 hours, the world lost two unique figures of the health world: Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Richard Simmons. Westheimer’s spokesman, Pierre Lehu, confirmed the renowned…
In the span of about 24 hours, the world lost two unique figures of the health world: Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Richard Simmons.
Westheimer's spokesman, Pierre Lehu, confirmed the renowned sex counselor/radio/talk show host died on July 12 at age 96 at her home in New York City. Shortly thereafter, Simmons's rep, Tom Estey, confirmed the legendary, flamboyant fitness instructor died on July 13 at his home in Los Angeles at age 76.
Both Westheimer and Simmons became famous in the 1980s and were one-of-a-kind experts in their health fields. They were personalities unlike anyone else that came before them. For Westheimer, the frankness with which she talked about sex was a remarkable juxtaposition to her sweet-sounding voice and tiny 4-foot-7 frame. For Simmons, his over-the-top nature -- not to mention his trademark sparkling tank tops and short-shorts -- was the polar opposite of every male fitness guru that preceded him.
Westheimer and Simmons were special for a variety of reasons, but one of the most important things they had in common was that both of them truly seemed to care about people. Sure, they both published books and had various business ventures, but at the core of what they did was caring for people. Today, there are all kinds of health influencers on social media and beyond, but most seem to lack the compassion and fun that Westheimer and Simmons delivered.
That compassion and fun was often on full display when Westheimer and Simmons appeared on late-night talk shows. In fact, David Letterman seemed to have a soft spot in his heart for Westheimer and Simmons. Over the years, both appeared on Letterman's late-night talk shows, often to hilarious results.
In the clip below showing a 1982 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, Westheimer immediately makes Letterman uncomfortable by asking him if he's using contraceptives.
At the time of this interview, Westheimer's WYNY radio show, Sexually Speaking, expanded from a 15-minute program airing after midnight on Sundays to an hour-long program airing on Sundays at 10 PM. Letterman asks whether she receives many crank calls, and Westheimer says no. She explains, "I do talk very explicitly [about sex], but I do think the reason we don't get crank calls ... is because there's a tremendous amount of need for this kind of sexual literacy."
As for Simmons, he was seemingly game for just about anything from walking through a New Jersey neighborhood and knocking on doors with Letterman to dressing up as "America's Valentine" and flying through the Ed Sullivan Theater. However, Simmons was often on a mission. In the clip below from 2007, Simmons appeared on Late Show with David Letterman to talk about his initiative to get physical education and recess back in schools.
"I believe that exercise can be a multiple measure in the school system, and our kids will not have diabetes, obesity, depression and all the things our kids are going through now," said Simmons. He later channeled his inner Norma Rae and stood on his chair and led the audience in the chant, "P.E. in schools! That's the golden rule!"
For anyone who grew up with Westheimer and Simmons as major pop culture figures, their deaths ring as a true loss, for they both represented a singular sweetness that is seemingly in short supply today. Perhaps, if more health influencers followed their lead, maybe the world would be a brighter place, or at the very least, sparkle like one of Simmons' tank tops.
We had to say goodbye to many people in 2024 from the worlds of entertainment, sports, politics and beyond.
Among the untimely deaths in 2024 was actor Carl Weathers. The actor best known for playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise died on February 1 at the age of 76.
Toby Keith was another major death in 2024. The country star died on February 1 at age 62 following a battle with stomach cancer. Countless artists from the country world shared tributes to Keith. Among them was Reba McEntire, who shared, "Toby and I are both from Oklahoma and very proud of our Oklahoma heritage. Toby worked very hard to make a mark in the country music business and did a great job doing that. I am very proud of him, and I hope he rests in peace. I was very honored to get to work with Toby and be a part of the era of country music he was in. We’ll sure miss him."
Another heartbreaking loss this year was Maggie Smith. The acclaimed British actress died at age 89. Her incredible career earned her numerous awards, including two Academy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards.
Shannen Doherty was another big loss in 2024. Doherty died at age 53 following a public battle with cancer. She, of course, starred in Beverly Hills, 90210, which is still considered one of the most iconic teen television shows of all time.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the musicians, celebrities and other cultural figures we've lost in 2024.
Quincy Jones
Tom Cooper/Getty Images for Global Down Syndrome FoundationLegendary producer/composer Quincy Jones died on November 3 at age 91. Considered by many to be a musical genius, Jones' career is filled with credits ranging from film score work to producing some of the most iconic music of all time, including Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'.
Maggie Smith
John Phillips/Getty Images for BFIMaggie Smith died on September 27 at age 89. The acclaimed British actress best known for her performances in 'Downton Abbey' and the 'Harry Potter' franchise.
Donald Sutherland
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesLegendary actor Donald Sutherland died on June 20 at age 88. His decades-long career was filled with numerous acclaimed credits including 'The Dirty Dozen,' 'M*A*S*H,' 'Klute,' 'Animal House,' 'Ordinary People,' 'Six Degrees of Separation,' and 'The Hunger Games' franchise.
Carl Weathers
Jesse Grant/Getty Images for DisneyWeathers died on February 1. He was 76. Weathers was best known for playing Apollo Creed in the 'Rocky' franchise. Other notable credits included 'Predator,' 'Happy Gilmore,' 'Arrested Development' and 'The Mandalorian.'
Kris Kristofferson
Rick Diamond/Getty ImagesKris Kristofferson died on September 28 at age 88. His legendary music career influenced generations of country music artists and other singer-songwriters. He also had a very successful acting career including 'A Star is Born' and the 'Blade' trilogy.
John Amos
Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Time Warner Inc.John Amos died on August 21 at age 84. He was best known for his roles on 'Good Times,' 'Roots,' and 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show.'
Liam Payne
Gareth Cattermole/Getty ImagesLiam Payne died on October 16 at age 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Payne was best known for being a member of popular boy band One Direction.
Glynis Johns
Daily Express/Getty ImagesJohns passed away on January 4. She was 100. The British actress's career spanned over 60 years. Johns won a Tony Award in 1973 for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in 'A Little Night Music.' She famously played Winifred Banks in the classic 1964 film 'Mary Poppins.'
Shannen Doherty
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Hallmark ChannelShannen Doherty died on July 13 at age 53 following a long battle with cancer. She was best known for her performance in 1988's 'Heathers,' 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and 'Charmed.'
James Earl Jones
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesJames Earl Jones died on September 9 at age 93. Jones's remarkable career on stage, screen and television spanned eight decades. He received numerous honors, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, the National Medal of the Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002 and various lifetime achievement awards.
Pete Rose
Mark Lyons/Getty ImagesIconic baseball player and manager Pete Rose died on September 30 at age 83. While he still holds a number of Major League Baseball records, Rose was famously banned from being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame due to him betting on baseball games while he was a manager for the Cincinnati Reds.
Dr. Ruth Westheimer
Rachel Murray/Getty Images for HuluDr. Ruth Westheimer died on July 12 at age 96. Westheimer was a renowned sex counselor/radio/talk show host.
Richard Lewis
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesLewis died on February 27 at age 76 from a heart attack. He was an iconic stand-up and comedic actor best known for his role on HBO's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.'
Phil Donahue
Allen Berezovsky/Getty ImagesGroundbreaking talk show host Phil Donahue died on August 18 at age 88. Donahue was best known for his nationally syndicated talk show, aptly named The Phil Donahue Show, which was later renamed to Donahue. The talk shows ran from November 1967 to September 1996.
Richard Simmons
Moses Robinson/Getty ImagesRichard Simmons died on July 13 at age 76. Simmons was a fitness icon known for his flamboyant energy, outfits, and incredible compassion.
Toby Keith
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ImagesKeith died on February 5 following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62. Keith's career spanned three decades and yielded many hits. Among them were "How Do You Like Me Now?!," "I Love This Bar," "Red Solo Cup" and "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)."
Shelley Duvall
Mark Renders/Getty ImagesShelley Duvall died on July 11 at age 75. In addition to her performance in 'The Shining,' Duvall notably worked with director Robert Altman in seven different films: 1970's 'Brewster McCloud'; 1971's 'McCabe & Mrs. Miller'; 1974's 'Thieves Like Us'; 1975's 'Nashville'; 1976's 'Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson'; 1977's '3 Women'; and 1980's 'Popeye'.
Louis Gossett Jr.
Charley Gallay/Getty Images for TCMGossett Jr. died on March 29 at age 87 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The accomplished actor had countless credits. Gossett Jr. won an Emmy Award for his performance in the iconic TV miniseries 'Roots.' He also became the first Black man to win an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his performance in 1982's 'An Officer and a Gentleman.'
Terri Garr
Newsmakers/Getty ImagesTerri Garr died on October 29 at age 79 after battling multiple sclerosis for over 20 years. The Oscar-nominated actress best known for roles in 'Tootsie', 'Young Frankenstein', and 'Friends'.
O.J. Simpson
Steve Marcus-Pool/Getty ImagesSimpson died on April 10 at age 76 following a battle with cancer. Despite his legendary football career, Simpson's legacy will be as the defendant in one of the most high-profile murder cases of all time.
Phil Lesh
Michael Buckner/Getty ImagesPhil Lesh, bassist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, died on October 25 at age 84. A cause of death was not confirmed. However, Lesh was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006. Shortly after announcing his diagnosis, Lesh had successful prostate surgery. In 2015, Lesh underwent surgery for bladder cancer, which was also successful.
Dickey Betts
Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Webster PRBetts was the co-founder, guitarist, singer and songwriter for the Allman Brothers Band. He died on April 18 at ago 80 from cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Susan Buckner
David Livingston/Getty ImagesSusan Buckner was best known for playing Patty Simcox in the classic 1978 movie musical 'Grease.' She died on May 2 at age 72. A cause of death wasn't disclosed.
Morgan Spurlock
Jemal Countess/Getty Images for BFCA and BTJADocumentarian Morgan Spurlock died on May 23 at age 53 from cancer. He's best known for his 2004 documentary 'Super Size Me.'
David Soul
Keystone/Getty ImagesSoul died on January 4. He was 80. He's best known for playing Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the TV series 'Starsky & Hutch.' Soul also had a music career and had a number one hit song in 1977 with "Don't Give Up on Us."
Jesse Jane
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesJane died on January 24 of a suspected drug overdose. She was 43. Born Cynthia Ann Howell, Jane was a popular adult film star. She retired from the industry in 2017 and briefly returned in 2019.
Aston Barrett
Stephen Lovekin/Getty ImagesBarrett died on February 3 from heart failure. He was 77. Barrett was the bass player and musical director for the Wailers. He famously had the nickname "Family Man" due to fathering 41 children.
Wayne Kramer
Donna Ward/Getty ImagesKramer died on February 2. He was 75. His cause of death was pancreatic cancer. The influential guitarist was a co-founder of the MC5 along with Fred "Sonic" Smith.
Leon Wildes
Joe Corrigan/Getty ImagesWildes died on January 8. He was 90. Wildes was best known for representing John Lennon and Yoko Ono when they were facing potential deportation. He proved Lennon and Ono were being targeted by the Nixon administration due to their political leanings.
Joyce Randolph
Gabe Palacio/ImageDirect/Getty ImagesRandolph died on January 13. She was 99. The actress was best known for playing Trixie Norton on classic 1950s sitcom 'The Honeymooners.' Randolph was the last surviving main cast member from the series.
Mary Weiss
Ron Case/Getty ImagesWeiss (middle) died on January 19. She was 75. Weiss was the lead singer of the '60s girl group The Shangri-Las. The group topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964 with "Leader of the Pack."
Shifty Shellshock
Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Rockefellas StudioCrazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock died on June 24 at age 49 from an accidental overdose. Crazy Town was best known for their hit 2000 single "Butterfly."
Norman Jewison
Jerod Harris/Getty ImagesJewison died on January 20. He was 97. The acclaimed director helmed a number of beloved films, including 'In the Heat of the Night,' 'Fiddler on the Roof' and 'Moonstruck.' Jewison was nominated for Best Director by the Academy Award for each of those aforementioned films.
Dexter Scott King
Erik S. Lesser/Getty ImagesKing died on January 22. He was 62. His cause of death was due to prostate cancer. King was one of four children of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. He was the longtime chairman of the King Center.
Paul Di'Anno
Robert Ellis/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesPaul Di'Anno was the original singer of Iron Maiden. He died on October 21 at age 66 following years of failing health.
Melanie
Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesMelanie died on January 23. She was 76. The singer-songwriter famously performed at Woodstock in 1969. She is best known for the songs "Brand New Key" and "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)," which was inspired by her experience at Woodstock.
Melinda Wilson
Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesWilson died on January 30. She was 77. Wilson was the wife/manager of music legend Brian Wilson. They were married in 1995. Brian Wilson said in a statement following her death, "Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor."
Mike Pinder (R)
Theo Wargo/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of FamePinder was a co-founder and keyboardist for the Moody Blues. He died on April 24 at age 82 from complications from dementia. Pinder was the last surviving member of the original Moody Blues lineup.
JD Souther
Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Americana MusicJD Souther died on September 17 at age 78. He co-wrote songs for the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt. Souther has co-writing credits on Eagles classics like "Heartache Tonight," "Best of My Love," "New Kid in Town" and "Victim of Love." (Despite being asked to join the Eagles, Souther famously refused.) Souther made a number of contributions to Ronstadt's career, from co-producing her fourth album, 1973's Don't Cry Now, to writing songs for her, including "Faithless Love," "Prisoner in Disguise" and "White Rhythm and Blues." Souther and Ronstadt also many duets together, including the 'Urban Cowboy' soundtrack song "Hearts Against the Wind."
Tito Jackson
Marcus Ingram - ABA /Getty ImagesTito Jackson died on September 15 at age 70. In the legendary Jackson family, Tito was the third child born to Joe and Katherin Jackson. He was famously a member of The Jackson 5 alongside his brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. The group signed with Motown Records in 1968. Over the course of five years, The Jackson 5 scored 17 top-40 hits, including four No. 1 hits: "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There."
Steve Albini
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for FYFAlbini died on May 7 from a heart attack. He was best known for his engineering work with a number of major rock artists including Nirvana ('In Utero'), Jimmy Page & Robert Plant ('Walking into Clarksdale'), and Pixies ('Surfer Rosa').
