Joseph Simmons is an American DJ, rapper, and actor. In 1983, he co-founded the popular and influential hip hop group Run–D.M.C. with fellow musicians Darryl McDaniels and the late Jason William Mizell. He is also a practicing Christian minister, affectionately known as Reverend Run. Joseph achieved further prominence after starting an MTV reality TV series titled Run’s House (2005-2009) that revolved around his daily life with his family members.
Sun Sign
Scorpio
Residence
Saddle River, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States
Nationality
Genre
Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop, Rap Rock
Instruments
Vocals
Labels
- Def Jam Recordings
- Profile Records
- Arista Records, Inc./Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG)
Girlfriend / Spouse
Joseph has dated –
- Valerie Vaughn (1983–1992) – Joseph got married to teacher and educationist Valerie Vaughn in 1983. They had 3 children together – 2 daughters named Vanessa Simmons (b. August 5, 1983) and (b. September 18, 1987), and a son named Joseph “JoJo” Ward Simmons, Jr. (b. September 29, 1989). The couple got divorced in 1992.
- Justine Simmons (1994-Present) – Joseph married actress and his high school sweetheart Justine Simmons on June 25, 1994. He had 3 more children with this relationship – 2 sons named (b. March 21, 1995) and Russell “Russy” Simmons II (b. August 30, 1997), and a daughter named Victoria Anne Simmons. Victoria, however, passed away shortly after her birth on September 26, 2006, after which the couple adopted a baby girl named Miley Justine Simmons (b. 2007).
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Stocky frame
- Clean-shaven look
- Freckled face
Brand Endorsements
Joseph, as a member of the hip hop group Run–D.M.C., has endorsed the multinational brand Adidas.
Religion
Pentecostalism (Protestant Christianity sect)
Joseph Simmons Favorite Things
- Rappers – , , , ,
- Singer –
- Instrumentalists – Nat King Cole, Kenny G
- Radio Station – CD101.9
Source – , ,
Joseph Simmons Facts
- He had started his musical career as the lead vocalist of a hip-hop band named The Force.
- In 2002, he featured on a special “Rap Stars” episode of the reality TV game show The Weakest Link. He was the 3rd contestant voted out.
- He began using the stage name “Rev. Run” after his ordainment as a Pentecostal minister by his spiritual mentor E. Bernard Jordan. He was also honored as “Protege of the Year” by Bernard in 2004. Joseph reciprocated by gifting Bernand a Phantom Rolls Royce car worth USD 325k as a thankful gesture for his mentoring.
- His first musical act after adopting the stage name Rev. Run was an appearance in the British pop band Liberty X‘s 2005 single titled Song 4 Lovers. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Box UK and at No. 4 on the MTV UK TV channels.
- In October 2005, his first solo album titled Distortion was released. The album’s lead single, Mind on the Road has been featured by EA Sports in its 2006 edition of the Madden NFL video game.
- In 2007, he featured in an episode of MTV’s reality TV series My Super Sweet 16 with his rapper son Daniel “Diggy” Simmons III. The show documents the lives of teenagers of wealthy and famous celebrity parents.
- In September 2007, he was honored with the “BMI Icon” award by Broadcast Music Inc., at its annual BMI Urban Awards.
- In 2008, Joseph and his wife Justine formed a partnership with a non-profit organization called KaBOOM! to raise awareness about the importance of safe play spaces by helping to construct 24 playgrounds in underprivileged communities.
- He has also co-authored a book with Justine titled Take Back Your Family: A Challenge to America’s Parents, which was published in August 2008.
Featured Image by David Shankbone / / CC BY-3.0
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Facts of Joseph Ward Simmons
- Gender Male
- full nameJoseph Ward Simmons
- middle nameWard
- nicknamesRun, Rev. Run, DJ Run
- birthplaceHollis, Queens, New York City, New York, United States
- Date of Birth November 14, 1964
- Age 59 years 9 months
- Horoscope Scorpio
- Lucky Number 9
- Lucky Stone Garnet
- Lucky Color Purple
- Best Match for Marriage Capricorn, Cancer, Pisces
- ethnicity / ethnic backgroundAfrican-American
- nationalityAmerican
- religionPentecostalism
- net worth$60 million
- professionDJ, Rapper, Actor, Music Producer
- weight80 kg or 176.5 lbs
- height5 ft 8 in or 173 cm
- eye colorDark Brown
- body type / buildAverage
- motherEvelyn Simmons
- fatherDaniel Simmons Sr.
- brothersDaniel “Danny” Simmons Jr. , Russell Wendell Simmons