Desi Arnaz 1917 – 1986

Biography

Desi Arnaz was born Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha in Santiago de Cuba, where his father was mayor, and fled to Miami with his family after the Cuban revolution of 1933 stripped them of their wealth. He worked odd jobs before finding success as a bandleader, popularizing the conga in the United States and starring on Broadway and in Hollywood films. In 1940 he met Lucille Ball while filming Too Many Girls, and they married later that year. Together they created I Love Lucy in 1951, with Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo and as the show’s pioneering producer, insisting on filming before a live audience with multiple cameras. He co-founded Desilu Productions, which became a television powerhouse. He died in Del Mar, California, in 1986. His innovations in filming sitcoms, including the three-camera setup and the live studio audience, remain the standard for television comedy.