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Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s Path to Parenthood and Their Everlasting Impact
The heritage of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz is reflected through their children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr., and their five grandchildren: Julia, Haley, Simon, Joseph, and Kate.
It was in 1951 when the couple decided to have a child that personal family changes occurred with the birth of Lucie Désirée Arnaz. Lucie revealed in an interview that her parents had a very strong desire to have children right after getting married on Nov. 30, 1940. “They were so eager to have a family that the moment they stepped out of the church, they were already planning for children,” she recalled talking to The Desert Sun in 2018.
However, it was not easy for them to reach their desire. Ball, in an interview with The Washington Star in 1980, admitted having two miscarriages during the first ten years of their marriage. Thinking about the birth of her daughter, Ball said, “the birth of a baby has always been a miracle to me. I couldn’t fathom it.”
The Family of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz: A Journey of Little Ricky and Real-Life Happy Moments
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had their second child, Desiderio “Desi” Alberto Arnaz Jr., just 18 months after their daughter in 1953, and the whole world couldn’t have been more excited.
Entertainment Weekly reveals that Ball’s son arrived via a pre-planned C-section on the very night when her legendary character, Lucy Ricardo was shown giving birth to Little Ricky on the episode of I Love Lucy.
Ball, who was very famous, always said that nothing gave her more pleasure than her family. “If you only have a job, it would be very dull,” she said to The Washington Star. “I think the best period of my life is the time I spend with my children. They help to keep you young.”
Here is the full story about their kids Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr., as well as their grandkids: Julia, Haley, Simon, Joseph, and Kate.
Lucie Désirée Arnaz: The First Child of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
On July 17, 1951, Lucie Désirée Arnaz entered the world as the first child of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
Her birth was only six weeks before Ball went back to filming I Love Lucy. Lucie referred to her mother as a “working mom” and mentioned that in fact her parents were often busy and away from home in her early years.
Even though Ball and Arnaz split up in 1960, they kept good terms. “They loved each other until the end,” Lucie shared with PEOPLE in 2022, pointing to their deaths in 1989 and 1986.
Just like her parents, Lucie had a great love for the entertainment world. The Desert Sun says that at the age of 9, she was already carrying out performances in the family garage, which was a reason for Ball to construct a stage for her.
Lucie Arnaz Early Acting Career and Breakthrough at the Stage
Lucie Arnaz already displayed her skills in acting through various stage plays in which she had leading roles while still in high school, namely Oklahoma!, Alice in Wonderland, and The Boyfriend. When she was fifteen, she played the role of Kim Carter, her mother Lucille Ball’s character’s daughter, in the TV sitcom Here’s Lucy.
The young actress agreed to the role with an unusual stipulation: if her performance were not up to the mark, her mother would “fire” her. “I said, ‘[You’ve] got to help me save face,’” Lucie told Page Six. “And [my mom] agreed.”
Lucie made an impressive transition to the stage after the final episode of Here’s Lucy in 1974. “I got … the first national company of Seesaw,” she told The Desert Sun. “That led to Annie Get Your Gun and They’re Playing Our Song and I never looked back. I pretty much stayed in the theater.”
Lucie Arnaz’s Marriage and Family Life
Lucie Arnaz and her husband, Laurence Luckinbill, were brought together by chance when they were starring in separate plays by Neil Simon – Lucie was in They’re Playing Our Song, while Luckinbill was in Chapter Two. It was 1979.
After a short courtship, they decided to tie the knot in June 1980. As a result, Lucie became the stepmother of Nick and Ben Luckinbill, two kids that Laurence had from the marriage with Robin Strasser.
Lucie and Laurence’s union produced three children – Simon Thomas Luckinbill (born Dec. 10, 1980), Joseph Henry Luckinbill (born Dec. 31, 1981), and Katharine “Kate” Désirée Luckinbill (born Jan. 11, 1985).
Lucie was being witty with Passport Magazine when she said, “I say that I have given birth to three and cooked and cleaned for five. All the kids are great.”
Lucie Arnaz’s Steady Success in Acting and Producing
Lucie Arnaz has successfully juggled motherhood and a career in entertainment over the years. Among her many accomplishments, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in the 1980 movie The Jazz Singer, and led her own comedy series, The Lucie Arnaz Show, which was on for one season in 1985.
Her role as an executive producer led to an Emmy win in 1993 for the biopic Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie, which was written and produced by her husband, Laurence Luckinbill. In 2002, she received yet another Emmy nomination together with her brother, Desi Arnaz Jr., for executive producing the I Love Lucy 50th Anniversary Special.
Just recently, Lucie paid tribute to her parents by narrating audiobooks of their autobiographies, A Book and Love, Lucy. She also featured in I Got the Job! Songs From My Musical Past.
Desiderio “Desi” Arnaz Jr.: The Musical Son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
Desiderio “Desi” Alberto Arnaz Jr. was brought into this world on 19 January 1953 as the second child of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
It was a misconception among many that Desi Jr. was born on camera during the I Love Lucy show. “I was born that Monday morning and the episode aired that night,” he shared with the Los Angeles Times in 1991. “A lot of people thought I was born on the air.”
It was to the bewilderment of fans when at only two months old Desi Jr. appeared on the cover of the first issue of TV Guide with his famous mother. “That cover got seen so much that everyone thought I was the one playing Little Ricky, and it’s been like that with me my whole life,” he said in an interview in 2013. (In fact, the role of Little Ricky was played by Keith Thibodeaux.)
Desi Jr. was musically inclined since early childhood. His sister Lucie shared with the Television Academy Foundation that he was around 4 when he first started drumming.
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Desi Arnaz Jr.: From a rock band drummer to an actor
After his parents split up, Desi Arnaz Jr. had a tradition of spending his summer holidays at his father’s in Baja, California, the Los Angeles Times reported.
He was passionate about music ever since he was a kid and became a member of the rock and roll band Dino, Desi & Billy when he was only 11 years old. The group, consisting of Dean Paul Martin (son of Dean Martin) and Billy Hinsche, besides Desi Jr., had a hit with their single “I’m a Fool” and got the chance to open for big names like The Beach Boys.
Besides being a musician, Desi Jr. also tried his hand at acting and got on the stage of the TV series The Brady Bunch for a guest appearance and acted with his mother and sister in the role of Craig Carter in Here’s Lucy from 1968 to 1972. His performance in the movie Red Sky at Morning in 1971 was honored by the Golden Globe award nomination.
Desi Arnaz Jr.’s Personal Life: Fatherhood, Relationships, and Recovery
While still a teenager, Desi Arnaz Jr. had a daughter named Julia Arnaz by model Susan Callahan-Howe. However, he only became acquainted with Julia when she was more than 20 years old.
Furthermore, Desi Jr. had a few important romantic relationships, such as with actress Patty Duke and a brief engagement to Liza Minnelli. Lucille Ball in a 1972 interview, “I’m the one who talked marriage to them… I said … ‘Don’t get married too soon.’ They were upset.”
The wedding did not take place as the engagement was called off, and subsequently, Desi Jr. wedded actress Linda Purl in 1979. They separated just a year later, as explained in Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball.
At that time, Desi Jr. was heavily dependent on drugs and was almost at death’s door. After following his father’s promptings, he got into a recovery program and changed his life. It was through the program that he subsequently assisted his father in becoming sober.
Desi Arnaz Jr. Locates Love, Keeps Acting and Pays his Family a Tribute.
Desi Arnaz Jr. married his sweetheart, Amy Laura Bargiel, and they started a family near Las Vegas. They are owners of the beautiful, restored Boulder Theatre. Desi Jr. is also a father to Haley, Amy’s daughter whom he adopted after she was grown. “I’m happier now than I’ve ever been,” he said simply.
Desi Jr. took on the role of his father in the 1992 movie The Mambo Kings which also starred Antonio Banderas. To continue the band in 1998, he brought Ricci Martin in to replace his deceased brother Dean, the latter of whom died in a plane crash in 1997.
Being an executive producer, Desi Jr. got nominated for an Emmy with his sister Lucie in 2002 for the I Love Lucy 50th Anniversary Special. He was also an executive producer for the 2021 movie Being the Ricardos.
Sadly, at the end of a long battle with a brain tumor, Amy lost her fight and passed away on January 23, 2015, aged 63.
Desi Jr. did a rare social media post in August 2024 when Lucie posted a picture of them on Instagram and wrote, “Desi is alive and well, my friends—just likes to stay a bit ‘undercover.’”
Julia Arnaz Massey: Healing Her Relationship with Her Father After a Torn Family
Julia Arnaz Massey was born in 1970 to Susan Callahan-Howe, a model. She and Desi Arnaz Jr., her father, did not meet before the death of their grandparents, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Sr., in the early ’90s.
“When I was 20, we did a DNA test and the result was 99.97 percent that I was really his daughter,” Julia told Page Six in 2021. “Soon after that my father and I began a wonderful relationship.”
Speaking to WGN Radio 720, Julia said that after her mother had separated from Desi Jr., she moved Julia to Connecticut to keep her away from Hollywood. She explained to her father as “the best day ever,” “for so long … I was longing to be with my dad and I saw those people on TV, and I could see them, but they just couldn’t see me.”
When they found each other again, Julia already had a daughter, Desiree S. Anzalone, with whom she separated from father Mario Anzalone.
She remarried but lost her husband Tim in a swimming accident in 2012. Speaking to PEOPLE about her loss, she said, “I have reached my maximum of suffering through tragedies.” Later she married Albert Massey.
Julia Arnaz Massey Laid to Rest Family Members Lost To Illness and Now Supports Breast Cancer Awareness
In 2021, one of the major hits to Julia Arnaz Massey was the passing of her mother, Susan Callahan-Howe, to COVID-19. Page Six obtained this info.
But it’s not just the end of one life that broke Julia’s heart; the other was her young daughter Desiree whom she termed her “mini-me,” who died of breast cancer at the age of 31. “We were best friends,” Julia told PEOPLE, “She was so beautiful… She really reminded me a lot of my grandmother, even more than I do.”
Julia, revealing to Page Six, spoke about her daughter Desiree’s relationship with her grandfather, Desi Arnaz Jr., who helped both Julia and Desiree through college.
Julia, who committed herself to BCRF to keep her baby’s memory alive, was also recognized as the breast cancer spokesperson for Connecticut. “The thing that keeps me going is to just try and make awareness for this horrible disease,” she expressed to WGN Radio 720.
Haley Arnaz: Ballet Dancer and Daughter of Desi Arnaz Jr. and Amy Bargiel
Haley Arnaz was born in December 1976 and is the daughter of Desi Arnaz Jr. and his late wife, Amy Bargiel, from a previous relationship. According to The Washington Times, Amy tying the knot with Desi Jr. in 1987 and him adopting Haley.
In her childhood, Haley was completely engrossed in ballet and her repertoire included the Gran Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker. Amy went on to tell how impressed she was with her daughter’s hard work in ballet through her blog in 2011, “Haley did that. She mastered the art of Ballet — and she mastered it well.”
Besides that, Amy came up with a few children’s books based on Haley’s passion for ballet, known as Little Haley Stories.
Haley has kept her profile low as an adult and, as far as we know, she and her parents were last seen publicly attending a benefit concert for Carl Wilson in 2001.
Simon Thomas Luckinbill: Artist and Lucie Arnaz’s Son
On December 10, 1980, Simon Thomas Luckinbill came into the world as the firstborn of Lucie Arnaz and Laurence Luckinbill. While his birthplace was Los Angeles, his upbringing took place in Katonah, New York, as his parents decided to live a quiet life away from the public eye. Lucie has mentioned that the moment she became a mother was her “proudest moment.”
Simon is a versatile artist who initially engaged with music, poetry, and nutrition before he discovered his passion for painting. For him, art is a freeing way to express stories, and he finds his muse in the tranquility of nature, the rhythm of music, and his Christian faith. The opening of his first art exhibition in 2014 turned out to be a fantastic event since more than half of his pieces were sold within less than two hours.
In 2020, Lucie paid a heartfelt tribute on the occasion of his 40th birthday, where she highlighted her son’s “brilliant eye for color and art expression,” and described him as a “true sprite with a beautiful heart.”
Joseph Henry Luckinbill: Musician and a Son of Lucie Arnaz and Laurence Luckinbill
Joseph Henry Luckinbill, the middle one of Lucie Arnaz and Laurence Luckinbill’s children, came into the world on the last day of 1981. Just like his elder brother Desi Jr., Joseph has been deeply immersed in the world of music for a long time even before it was obvious to any of them. Lucie told Arlene Herson, “My son’s hobby is guitar. Basically, that’s his life.”
After finishing his studies in music with a bachelor’s degree at Shenandoah University, Joseph sought a career path in teaching music at different schools and also conducting online classes. Besides that, he started Fathom Studios where he is the chief engineer.
Joseph’s 2008 Broadway debut was in LuLu’s Back in Town at Birdland, where he performed co-acted with his mother and younger sister Kate, which showed their performing arts family tradition.
Joseph Henry Luckinbill: Musician, Father, and Future Music Producer
Joseph Henry Luckinbill is a talented musician. He is the grandson of Lucille Ball and the son of Lucie Arnaz and Laurence Luckinbill. Joseph plays in a progressive funk band called Plasm and thus far has released six solo albums.
Joseph and his wife decided to start a family. On June 26, 2019, their daughter Eliza Grace was born. It was Lucie who informed everyone about the happy news of her granddaughter via her Facebook page. The couple had a second child, a boy named George Anthony, on April 19, 2021. Lucie takes great pleasure in posting pictures of her grandchildren on her Instagram account.
Joseph is not only performing but also studying to enhance his music career and can hardly wait to receive his master’s degree in music production from Berklee College of Music in June 2024 as per his LinkedIn profile status.
