Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III, an American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer of Cuban descent, lived from March 2, 1917, to December 2, 1986. He co-starred with his then-wife Lucille Ball in the American television sitcom I Love Lucy as Ricky Ricardo. With the I Love Lucy series, Arnaz and Ball are recognized as the creators of the syndicated rerun.
Arnaz and Lucille Ball co-founded and ran Desilu Productions, which was originally formed to market I Love Lucy to television networks. Following the cancellation of I Love Lucy, Arnaz went on to produce several other television shows, first with Desilu Productions and then independently, including The Ann Sothern Show and The Untouchables. He was also the bandleader of the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, a Latin group. He was well-known for his ability to play congas and popularized the Conga line in the United States.
Arnaz formed the Siboney Septet after graduating from high school and began making a name for himself in Miami. After seeing Arnaz perform, Xavier Cugat hired him for his touring orchestra, where he played the conga drum and sang. Being a celebrity inspired him to form his own band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra. Arnaz and his orchestra became popular in New York City’s club scene, particularly at La Conga, where he is credited with popularizing conga line dancing in the United States. He caught the attention of Rodgers and Hart, who cast him in their Broadway musical Too Many Girls in 1939. The show was a success, and RKO Pictures acquired the film rights.
The following year, Arnaz went to Hollywood to star in the film adaptation of the show, which also starred Lucille Ball. Arnaz and Ball fell in love while filming and married on November 30, 1940. Arnaz appeared in several films in the 1940s, including Bataan, starring Robert Taylor. His portrayal of Felix Ramirez, the jive-loving California National Guardsman, was described by New York Times critic Bosley Crowther as one of several supporting players who were “convincing in soldier roles.”
Desi Arnaz’s current and ex-wives
On November 30, 1940, Arnaz married Lucille Ball. Their marriage was always rocky. Ball filed for divorce in September 1944, convinced that Arnaz was unfaithful to her and also because he came home drunk several times, but she returned to him before the interlocutory decree became final. Arnaz and Ball went on to have two children, Lucie Arnaz (born 1951) and Desi Arnaz Jr. (born 1953).
Arnaz’s marriage to Ball began to fall apart as a result of his increasing problems with alcohol, gambling, and infidelity. According to his memoir, the combined pressures of managing the production company and supervising its day-to-day operations had greatly exacerbated as the company grew larger, and he felt compelled to seek outlets to relieve the stress. Arnaz had diverticulitis as well. In 1960, Ball divorced him. When Ball returned to weekly television, she and Arnaz worked out a deal in which she bought out Desilu.
Arnaz’s second wife was Edith Mack Hirsch (née McSkimming). He drastically reduced his show business activities after the two married on March 2, 1963. [39] Edith died of cancer in 1985, at the age of 67, after a 22-year marriage. Despite the fact that Arnaz and Ball divorced in 1960, they remained friends and grew closer in his final decade. “I Love Lucy was never just a title,” Arnaz wrote in his final years. Ball and Arnaz were seen on family home video playing together with their grandson Simon shortly before Arnaz’s death.
Desi Arnaz children
Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball had two children, Lucie Arnaz, and Desi Arnaz Jr.
Arnaz has a daughter, Julia Arnaz, from a relationship with model Susan Callahan-Howe when they were both 15 years old in 1968; Julia’s paternity to Desi Jr. was proven by a paternity test in 1991.
Desi Arnaz parents
His father was the youngest mayor of Santiago and a member of the Cuban House of Representatives.
Desi Arnaz siblings
Connie Arnaz is Arnaz’s sister.
