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Bob Simpson
Bob Simpson is a name that isn’t real well known…that is, unless you were a fan of the power rack and strength in the middle ’70s. Bob Simpson was quietly working out during the 1970s and handling world record poundage. He didn’t train for competition, or for physical beauty. He simply trained for the joy of moving heavy iron. Bob recently joined the IOL…much to my pleasure and he and I have been corresponding for a number of months. His is a story worth telling…so without any further fanfare, here is an interview between Bob and myself. Hope you enjoy it.
[This has been minimally edited…so as to not lose the flavor of the interview or glimpses into Bob’s personality. W.]
Wicked Willie – When and where were you born?
Bob – I was born in Memphis, Tennessee Nov. 20, 1937.
WW – So, that would make you 69 now. Do you remember what motivated you to start training?
Bob - My uncle trained with weights when I was pre-school age and I looked at his magazines. Later, when I was 13, my father was stationed in Anchorage, Alaska with the Air Force. I had a paper route and was standing waiting on the bus to take me to my route. There was a newsstand there and I picked up a Strength and Health with George Eifferman on the cover. I bought it and read it and some of Weider’s mags as long as we were in Alaska. When we got back to Memphis—at 14 years old I got a Weider weight set with money I saved from the paper route. I soon had to add to it with additional weight.