Philadelphia (WPVI) -- Danny Simmons conceived and co-produced the hit HBO show Def Poetry Jam, a weekly TV series that exhibited an eclectic blend of old-school poets (such as legendary expressionists Nikki Giovanni and Amiri Baraka) and new-school poets. Simmons won a Tony Award for the Broadway version of the show.
Simmons is also a co-founder, along with his siblings, music mogul Russell, and hip hop legend Joseph aka "Rev Run," and president of the Rush Arts Galleries and the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to providing disadvantaged urban youth with significant arts exposure and access to the arts.
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In 2015, Simmons moved to Philadelphia and opened Rush Arts Philadelphia gallery (RAP) to further the Rush Arts mission and to begin to create a national presence for the service organization.
Simmons is currently serving as a member of Vision 20/20, a Germination Project initiative that has enlisted 20 of Philadelphia's most prominent arts and culture leaders to develop a long-term strategic vision to boost the art economy and ecosystem in the Greater Philadelphia region.