Desi Arnaz, Jr.

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Desi Arnaz, Jr. (born Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV on January 19, 1953) is an American actor and musician and son of entertainers Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

Early life

Desi Arnaz, Jr. was born in Hollywood, California, on January 19, 1953 at 8:00 a.m. His sister, actress Lucie Arnaz, was born two years earlier.

His birth was one of the most publicized in TV history. His parents were in American television sitcom I Love Lucy and Lucille Ball's pregnancy was in the storyline, considered daring in those times. The same day Lucy gave birth to Desi Jr., the fictional Lucy Ricardo gave birth to "Little Ricky" . The child was shown on the first cover of TV Guide. Little Ricky as a baby was played by two sets of twins Joseph and Michael Mayer (1953–1954) followed by Richard and Ronald Lee Simmons (1954–1955). A boy named Keith Thibodeaux (using the professional name Richard Keith) was later cast to play 6-year-old Little Ricky. As a testament of how interested the American public was in Lucy's TV baby, a Time cover labeled Arnaz, Jr. as "Lucy's $50,000,000 baby."

Career

At age 12, Arnaz was a drummer with Dino, Desi, & Billy. The others were Dean Paul Martin, (son of Dean Martin), and Billy Hinsche. The band scored two hit singles with "I'm a Fool" and "Not The Lovin Kind" in 1965. In 1968, he and his sister, Lucie, played opposite their mother in Here's Lucy as her children. In 1970, Desi appeared on The Brady Bunch episode "The Possible Dream".

He turned down the roles of "Travis Bickle" in Taxi Driver (1976) and Superman/Clark Kent in Superman (1978). Arnaz, Jr.'s acting extended into the 1980s with TV productions and a leading role in Automan. He played his father in the movie The Mambo Kings (1992), based on a Pulitzer Prize novel that treated his father with respect. The film includes a scene in which Desi Jr., playing his father's character Ricky Ricardo, acts opposite his mother as Lucy Ricardo with film from the TV series intercut with the cast. In 1972 Desi joined Arizona, a music group formed by Laramy Smith in Hollywood CA. Desi played percussion. Members include Sneaky Pete Kleinow (Flying Burrito Brothers) on pedal steel guitar, Steve Edwards (Spirit) on piano and guitar), David Atwood (America) on drums, and Andy Way (Spencer Davis Group) on bass.

In a memorable 1976 episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by both Desi Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr., the younger Arnaz played Ricky Ricardo and Gilda Radner played Lucy in spoofs of supposed ill-fated pilots for I Love Lucy.

From about 2002 to 2007, he was vice-president of the board of Directors of the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center in Jamestown, New York. He resigned over a dispute with the executive director over the direction of the center.^[1][2]

At present, he is touring with a new configuration of Dino, Desi & Billy called Ricci, Desi & Billy. It features Arnaz, Jr. reunited with Billy Hinsche, and joined by Ricci Martin (youngest son of Dean Martin). The group performs original material as well as the songs the original band performed.^[3]

Personal life

Boulder Theatre

Arnaz married actress Linda Purl. They later divorced.

He was linked to Patty Duke, Liza Minnelli and Victoria Principal. He married Amy Bargiel in 1987, whose daughter Haley he adopted. He also has a daughter named Julia, born in 1969, and a granddaughter named Desiree.

He was once, for a short period of time, involved with female country music star Tanya Tucker.^[4]

In 2007, Desi appeared at the 5th Annual TV Land Awards with his sister, Lucie, to accept the Legacy of Laughter award posthumously given to their mother.

Amy and Desi Arnaz, Jr. live in Boulder City, Nevada, owners of the Boulder Theatre, a cinema converted into a theatre and home to the Boulder City Ballet Company.^[5]

References

External links

• Desi Arnaz, Jr. at the Internet Movie Database
• Desi Arnaz, Jr. at Allmovie