Joseph Ward Simmons (born November 14, 1964), known by the stage
name Rev. Run or DJ Run, is one of the founding members of the
influential hip hop group Run–D.M.C., and a practicing minister,
known as Reverend Run. Simmons was born in Hollis, Queens, New
York. He is the younger brother of Daniel "Danny" Simmons,
Jr. and Russell Simmons, the co-founder of Def Jam Records.
He found new popularity in 2005 with his family MTV reality show
Run's House.
Before Run–D.M.C., Simmons was the lead vocalist in the hip-hop
group called "The Force." He founded Run-D.M.C. as a lead
vocalist along with friend Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and the
late DJ Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell. Run began using
the stage name of "Rev. Run" after he was ordained as a
Pentecostal minister.[1] His first work as Rev. Run was a feature
in the single "Song 4 Lovers" by UK pop band Liberty X
in September 2005. The music video for that song was directed by
Bill Schacht for Aestheticom and reached broadcast airplay chart
positions of #2 Box UK and #4 MTV UK with heavy rotation on 5 other
music channels in the UK. Run DMC also is in the rock and roll hall
of fame .
It was followed by his first solo album, Distortion. The first single
from the album, "Mind on the Road", is featured in the
EA Sports's Madden NFL 06 video game. "Mind on the Road" uses
samples from the song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", in the tradition
of Run-DMC's 1980s hits using samples like Aerosmith's hit "Walk
This Way"
Rev Run appears on the MTV series Run's House, a reality show revolving
around his everyday life with his family.
In 2002, he appeared on a special "Rap Stars" edition
of The Weakest Link and was the third one voted off.[citation needed]
In 2007, he appeared with his son Diggy Simmons on My Super Sweet
16 while attending a 16th birthday party for Diddy's son, Quincy.
Diddy is also the producer of Run's House.
In 2008, Simmons and his wife Justine teamed up with Kool-Aid and
a non-profit organization called KaBOOM! to help build playgrounds
in underserved communities. With Kool-Aid, they are helping to build
twenty four playgrounds over the course of 2008 and hope to raise
awareness for the need for safe play spaces.
On August 5, 2008 Gotham Press published Simmons' book, Take Back
Your Family: A Challenge to America's Parents, co-authored by his
wife, Justine Simmons, and Chrisifer Morrow
On September 8, 2007, Rev Run was honored as a BMI Icon at the annual
BMI Urban Awards.
The Weekend of September 17th and 18th of 2011, Rev Run will be
making a Special Guest appearence at Bay Area Fellowship with Pastor
Bil Cornelius in Corpus Christi, Texas Bay Area Fellowship Church
During the month of October 2011, Rev Run will be a special guest
of Fellowship Church based out of Grapevine, TX (Senior Pastor Ed
Young).
[edit] Personal life
Simmons married Valerie Vaughn in 1983,[citation needed] and had
three children with her, Vanessa Simmons, Angela Simmons, and Joseph "Jojo" Simmons
Jr.[citation needed]
He married Justine Jones on June 25, 1994.[citation needed] With
her, he had three more children: Daniel "Diggy" Simmons
III, Russell "Russy" Simmons II, and Victoria Anne Simmons.
Victoria died shortly after birth on September 26, 2006. Victoria
was four pounds, five ounces when she was delivered via caesarean
section.[2] She died shortly after being born, due to omphalocele,
a birth defect that caused her organs to grow outside her body.[3]
The Simmons family allowed camera crews (of Run's House) to be in
the hospital room as they broke the news to their children. Soon
they adopted a baby girl, Miley Justine Simmons.[citation needed]
The Simmons family lives in Saddle River, New Jersey, USA.[citation
needed]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Solo
''Distortion''
Released: October 18, 2005
Format: LP
Label: Def Jam
Sales: 86,000 (U.S)
Singles: "Mind on the Road"