Little ricky movie

American actor and musician

"Little Ricky" redirects here. For the Lucy fictional character, see Ricky Ricardo Jr.

For the football player, see Keith Thibodeaux (American football).

Keith Thibodeaux
Thibodeaux in , age 10
Born	Keith Thibodeaux () December 1, (age&#;74) Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupations
Years&#;active	–present
Spouse
Children	1
Relatives	Bryce Drew (son-in-law)

Keith Thibodeaux (born December 1, ), also known as Richard Keith, is an American actor and musician, best known for playing Little Ricky on the television sitcoms I Love Lucy and The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour.

He was billed as Richard Keith because his Cajun French last name, "Thibodeaux", was considered too hard to pronounce by producer Desi Arnaz. He is the last living regular appearing cast member from I Love Lucy.^[1]

Career

I Love Lucy

Thibodeaux showed skill on the drums at a young age, and was making $ ($5, in dollars ^[2]) a week at the age of 3 while touring with the Horace Heidt Orchestra.

His father took him to audition for the part of Little Ricky in , "I walked on the set and there was Lucy, she was standing there and she was looking at me," he said. "She said 'OK he's cute, but what does he do?' My dad said, 'Well he plays the drums' and she said, 'Oh, come on--I can't believe that.' Then, she says 'Look, we have a drum set over there, go ahead and let him play.' Eventually Desi Arnaz himself came over and started jamming with me on the drums and then he kind of stood up and said 'Well, I think we found Little Ricky.'"^{[citation needed]}

According to Lucie Arnaz, who was interviewed on the TV show Archive of American Television, he became like part of the family.

Lucy Goes to the Hospital Keith Thibodeaux (born December 1, ), also known as Richard Keith, is an American actor and musician, best known for playing Little Ricky on the television sitcoms I Love Lucy and The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour.

"For a long time I thought Keith was related to us, because he went everywhere with us. Desi (Jr.) considered him his best friend and [Keith] was responsible for teaching him the drums. He came over to our house on many weekends and traveled with them during the summer. My mother kind of adopted him. He is in all of our home movies and photographs growing up and was a great kid, and still is."^[3]

In Thibodeaux appeared for a split second in an episode of The Lucy Show titled "Lucy is a Process Server." Initially he was featured in a comedic sequence at a train station in which a vending machine malfunctions.

However, the scene was cut when the show ran too long. After the episode was edited, Thibodeaux is only seen for a moment, entering the station. Nevertheless, Thibodeaux remained in the credits listed as Richard Keith, the actor who played "Little Boy."

Other TV appearances

As a child, he made 13 appearances on The Andy Griffith Show, between and , usually as Opie's friend "Johnny Paul Jason".

People MagazineLucille Ball and Desi Arnazs Daughter Lucie Wishes Brother Desi Jr. a Happy Birthday with Sweet Throwback PhotoLucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s daughter celebrated her younger brother’s birthday this week with a heartwarming message on Instagram, accompanied by an adorable childhood photo of the famous ...20 hours ago: Keith Thibodeaux (born December 1, ), also known as Richard Keith, is an American actor and musician, best known for playing Little Ricky on the television sitcoms I Love Lucy and The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour.

He later described The Andy Griffith Show set as a far more laid-back and pleasant experience compared to I Love Lucy, though due to age differences between himself and Ron Howard, he never grew as close to that show's cast as he did to the Arnaz family.^[4] He also accepted small roles on other popular television shows.

Music career

In , Thibodeaux joined the rock group David and the Giants who were based in Laurel, Mississippi. The group recorded in its early years with Capitol Records, Fame Records, and Crazy Horse Records, primarily touring throughout the South, and enjoyed a few regional hits which were recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and were well known in the Northern Soul music scene in England.

After turning 21 in , Thibodeaux received a final payment of $8, from a trust fund set up during his days on I Love Lucy^{[citation needed]}

Thibodeaux developed a drug problem and eventually left the band, which broke up soon after. He became a born again Christian in The band leader, David Huff, and other members later converted.

The group got back together.^[5] The band released a number of albums in the s and s for CBS Priority Records (Epic Records), The Benson Company, ABC Word Records (Myrrh) label, and the band's own label Giant Records. They released a CD in titled Still Rockin. A live David and the Giants album, The Best Is Yet To Come, and a DVD of the live performance, was recorded and released in August , which marked the band's 40th anniversary.

See full list on en.wikipedia.org Ricky Ricardo, JR (AKA: "Little ricky") was born on January 19th, at 11 am. He was probably conceived sometime in the spring of in the first season of I Love Lucy, around episodes #, when Lucy and Ricky were still sharing a single bed. He was born at least 2 weeks before his due date, because Lucy's baby was supposed to be due in February. Little Ricky is the apple of his.

The band was honored in , along with other notable Mississippi musicians such as Steve Forbert, Tammy Wynette, George Soule, and Elvis Presley, by receiving "The Jimmie" Mississippi Dreamers (Jimmie Rodgers Award) for their musical contributions as Mississippi artists at a special concert at Peavey Electronics Corporate headquarters in Meridian, MS, along with Hartley Peavey.^{[citation needed]}

In , Thibodeaux became the executive director for his wife's company, Ballet Magnificat!

which tours nationally and internationally. In the couple launched the Ballet Magnificat! Brasil dance company and trainee program headquartered in Curitiba, Brazil.

Personal life

Raised as a Roman Catholic, Thibodeaux went to school at St. Victor's elementary in West Hollywood and St.

Jane Frances de Chantal School in North Hollywood. He attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks for two years before his parents separated in ^{[citation needed]}

After his parents separated, Keith, his mother, and siblings moved back to Lafayette, Louisiana. He graduated from Lafayette High School where he continued to play drums in rock and rhythm and blues bands.

He left Louisiana for Mississippi in late after going to college for a short period where he said he "majored in drinking beer and playing pool" to pursue a career with the band David and the Giants.^{[citation needed]}

In , he met and married ballet dancer Kathy Denton in Jackson, Mississippi. The couple moved briefly to Southern California in where he was asked to join the pop band Starbuck famous for the late '70s hit "Moonlight Feels Right".

Thibodeaux returned to Mississippi in , where he, his wife and daughter Tara (b. ) eventually settled in Jackson, Mississippi. Thibodeaux played with jazz bands locally for a brief time before joining a newly revamped Christian rock band, David and the Giants, in ^{[citation needed]}

Thibodeaux's autobiography Life After Lucy was published in ^[6]

References

• Bernard, Shane (). The Cajuns: Americanization of a People. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN&#;.

External links