Cuban-born musician and band leader who, as Lucille
Ball's real and on-screen husband, became one of TV's
earliest superstars. Arnaz grew up in a wealthy Cuban
family, but in 1933, with the installation of the Batista
regime, he fled, penniless, to Miami with his mother.
His Latin looks and musical abilities secured him work
with bands like Xavier Cugat's and saw him arrive in
Hollywood. There he met the up-and-coming Lucille
Ball and they married in 1940. Ten years later, to save
their turbulent marriage, they agreed to work together
on a new TV comedy, I love lucy - the mother of all
sitcoms - playing husband and wife duo, Lucy and Ricky
Ricardo.
To produce the show, Arnaz founded their own
production company, Desilu (later responsible for shows
such as the untouchables and
mannix). However,
their marriage was not to last and they divorced in 1960.
Lucy persevered with her scatterbrained TV
characterizations, while Desi turned more to production. In later
years he was seen only rarely on screen.
