Richard Simmons was poised to make comeback with interactive musical about his life before his death

Richard Simmons left such a mark in the health and wellness industry space that no one has been able to replace him.

The infomercial king’s death on Saturday has broken many of his fans’ hearts, prompting countless to share their sadness for Richard’s death on social media. While the innovator who transformed the way to workout lived a long life, accomplishing much in the 76 years he was alive, his work was f ar from being done.

Richard was in the process of developing a new Broadway musical before his death.

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He was so invested in the project that he was even working on his musical on his 76th birthday on Friday, July 12. Richard’s representative Tom Estey told Entertainment Tonight that the small screen icon had "aligned with Patrick Leonard -- who has worked with the likes of Madonna, Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Jon Bon Jovi and many more -- to compose the music."

Although Richard was using his special day to continue creating the musical he envisioned, he did take some time to acknowledge his birthday on Facebook. He uploaded an old photo of him celebrating his first birthday for his post, reminiscing about birthday cakes, homemade birthday cards in grade school, and exchanging gifts with his brother Lenny.

"Lenny and I always received clothes for our birthday. As I became successful I bought my father cotton handkerchiefs with an S monogram as well as a cologne made with Patchouli," Richard wrote in his post. "I bought my mom a fragrance by Germaine Monteil called Royal Secret. She preferred the bath oil to put on her neck because it lasted longer. When that fragrance was discontinued she became an Oscar De La Renta lady. Also each month I sent them a check so they could buy anything they wanted."

Richard, not letting anything distract him from making progress on his Broadway musical - not even his birthday -, checks out since he’s a lifelong lover of theater. The Mirror reported in May that the production was going to take place in an open space near the stage where theater lovers could join in and participate in the energetic workout dance numbers.

News of the exercise pioneer’s musical came shortly after he made a troubling Facebook post in March 2024. In the post, he wrote that he was "dying" before switching up his tune and sharing a broader commentary on life and death.

"I have some news to tell you. Please don’t be sad. I am ….dying. Oh I can see your faces now," he wrote in the post, going on to say: "The truth is we all are dying. Every day we live we are getting closer to our death. Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest every single day. Get up in the morning and look at the sky… count your blessings and enjoy."