Your career as a percussionist started at the early age of three, and you quickly became a child prodigy when you began performing with the Horace Heidt Orchestra. Looking back, how do you reflect on that early stage of your career before making your big break on television?
I always had a love for the drums and playing—starting out on trash cans in the backyard and graduating to a full set eventually. The famous jazz artist Lionel Hampton was on one of the shows, and he and I played a song together with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco. There's even some film of it.
Did you feel any pressure at that time, or were you just having fun and playing around?
I was on the road touring with the Horace Heidt show, doing one-night stands across the nation, in Canada. So, I missed my mother, of course. I missed my family, and I was around a lot of adults, so that was kind of a bummer for a kid, you know.
I understand that in 1956, during your audition for the role of Little Ricky on the legendary show I Love Lucy, both Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were present. How did things unfold? What led to your inclusion in the cast?
A friend of my father's found out about the interview. They were looking to expand the part of their son, Little Ricky, who was born on the show, and I was invited to an audition at Desilu Studios. The first person I saw was Lucille Ball, and she looked at me and said to my dad, "He's cute, but what does he do?" My dad said, "He plays the drums." She responded, "Well, there's a set of drums over there. You can go over there and start playing." So, I went over and started playing the drums, and eventually, everybody was listening to this little kid playing. Desi Arnaz himself came over, started playing with me, then stood up, laughed, and said, "I think we found Little Ricky."
And, at the time, did you know who these big celebrities were, or were they just like random people to you?
Well, to me, they were random people, but my dad had informed me before the audition. He said, "Keith, this is a really big opportunity, and these are big, big people and a big, big show, and you need to do well." So I knew it was a big deal. The first episode I acted in was Lucy and Bob Hope, and that was a big one with Bob Hope as the guest star. I had a few lines there. And I just remember it was very good and fine at that point; it kind of felt like it was normal.
What were Lucy and Desi like off-camera?
They were very intense. Desi, of course, came from Cuba, so he was very Latin and very passionate. And Lucy came from a storied acting background and had played in a lot of B-movies. They were just very much like stars—that's what they were. But one of the first things Lucy said when I first met her was, "Please don't call me Ms. Ball. You call me Lucy, and you call Desi, Desi. You don't call us Mr. or whatever." So that was kind of interesting, because later on, I heard that when she did her last sitcom, people would call her Lucy, and she completely reversed her earlier personality and said, "No, I'm Ms. Ball. You don't call me Lucy." So there was definitely a change as she got older and whatnot.
Did they treat you with a caring, parental attitude?
They actually took me under their wings, and Lucy treated me like her child. She would tell the technicians on the set, "Absolutely no cussing if Keith is here, or you'll be fired." She was very kind to me and gave me presents on my birthday. Desi, whenever he gave his kids gifts while I was at their home, would give me the same gift. He took us to Los Angeles Rams football games, taught us how to ride horses and fish, and even bought me a personalized bowling ball. It was custom-made and had my name on it. He was just a very generous guy.
Do you still have that bowling ball, or did it get lost?
You know, I had that bowling ball for a while, but I think it's departed from me (laughs). But I still have a drum set that I had on the show. It's a 1957 or 1958 set that was completely restored. It's been to some museums across the country.
What are your memories of Vivian Vance and William Frawley, the other two main cast members of the show?
Well, again, these two—Vivian Vance and William Frawley—were very talented, very seasoned actors who basically didn't have attitudes toward me. They didn't act like they were stars. They were just working for the show, and we were all part of it. And they treated me like I was one of theirs, like a peer.
Which episode from your time on the show is your favorite?
I think I've got a few favorites. The Maurice Chevalier episode was really fun, with the famous French actor, and I got to play the drums. Anytime I played the drums on the show, I had a good time. But I think the Superman episode, with George Reeves, where he came to Little Ricky's birthday party, was probably my favorite as a kid because I really idolized George. I used to watch his show. So, when he came on set, he was like a superhero in real life. But what's interesting is that he didn't get credit as George Reeves, which was his real name; he was just Superman. It was one of the first crossovers they did, where they had a character from one series come onto another series and intermingle.
How do you view your performance now, looking back at your acting from so many years ago? Do you see it with affection, or do you have a more critical perspective?
You know, as I've gotten older, I've become less critical of myself. When I was younger, I was never really pleased with what I did. But looking back at it and watching the episodes again—which, by the way, you can watch on Pluto and other streaming platforms—I think it was quite good. I mean, the show was great, and my role will always be part of that legacy.
You were there during the final years of Lucy and Desi's marriage, which I imagine were quite rocky. Did you ever witness any tense moments between them?
Oh, of course. I mean, being a friend of their children, Lucie and Desi Jr., I spent a lot of weekends at their house. We'd go to their different homes in Del Mar, Palm Springs, and Corona—the ranch. I got to see the Arnazes in their element. Desi had an alcohol problem, and when he was drinking, you didn't want to be around him because it was almost a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type of thing. Also, Lucy loved Desi, and Desi loved Lucy, but Desi was a womanizer, and Lucy couldn't accept that. They would fight and throw things at each other. You'd hear all kinds of crazy noises. It scared me and their children. It was not an easy childhood for them, and whenever I was at their home, I never knew what was going to happen.
How did you find out about their divorce?
The first time I found out about it was after the last episode with Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams. That was the last episode of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour. As we were driving back home, my dad said, "Well, you know, Keith, you're out of a job." I said, "Why?" You know, it was the number one show in the country. But dad said that Lucy and Desi were getting a divorce and they couldn't work with one another anymore. So, that was kind of the nail in the coffin for the show. It was a sad, sad situation. But, in a way, it was almost like my own dad and mom getting divorced.
How so?
I didn't know that my father would eventually divorce my mother several years later, having an affair with a woman at one of the studios. So, I was totally sad and just could not believe that my dad could do that to our family. But I saw how Lucy and Desi couldn't get along with one another, and it was just better off that they were separate rather than always fighting.
After Lucy and Desi's divorce, did you ever feel like you had to choose sides?
What happened after they divorced was that their children, Lucie and Desi Jr., would spend time with them separately. Lucy had a life and remarried. Then eventually, Desi remarried Edith Hirsch. And, yeah, it was just a completely different lifestyle with those spouses. So, I didn't really have a favorite, but Desi was probably more of my favorite because he was such a generous guy. He never said any bad words to me, never said anything unkind. He would get mad at other people when he was drunk, but he would never come at me. I think he respected me a lot.
When was the last time you saw both of them?
It was kind of close to the end of their lives. I saw Desi at Desi Jr.'s wedding. I was invited to the wedding in Beverly Hills when he married Linda Purl, and then I saw Lucy there, too. But the last time I saw Lucy was at Desi's funeral in Del Mar.
As you said, in your personal life, you had strong friendships with the couple's children, Lucie and Desi Jr. What are some of your favorite memories from those relationships?
Oh, gosh. I mean, we grew up together. I became fast friends with Desi Jr. I played the drums, and he ended up taking lessons and learning the drums himself. We would always open Here's Lucy, which was after I Love Lucy. Desi and I would do the warm-up with the orchestra at the show for the live audience before the show was filmed. It was fun that we got to do that. Then we had our own little band called Little Ricky's Dixieland Band, and we were featured on The Dinah Shore Show, where we got to play a big segment. We were really good friends. I was close to Lucie Jr. You know, went through all her boyfriends and all that stuff with her. We went to the beach together, just hanging out.
Do you still keep in touch with them today?
Every once in a while, I'll speak with Desi Jr. I might not talk to him for a couple of years, but when I call him, we'll speak for about two hours and just catch up. We have a lot in common. We both married ballet dancers, and his wife has passed away, but we share many similarities in our lives.
Wow, it's really interesting that both of you ended up marrying ballet dancers...
In fact, our wives—my wife Kathy and his wife Amy—actually roomed together in New York City at the Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive one summer when they were about 16 years old. That was before they even met either one of us. My wife is a silver medalist in the USA International Ballet Competition and was featured in a PBS special. The story goes that Amy and Desi were watching the special because she loved ballet. As she was watching the show, she saw my wife and said, "I think I know that girl. I roomed with her, and that's Kathy Denton." But her name changed to Thibodeaux because of my last name. Desi then said, "Yeah, I think Keith married a ballet dancer." It was so weird that we both had this connection in that way.