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Life After Lucy: The True Story of "I Love Lucy'S" Little Ricky
The former drumming prodigy recalls his career as a child actor on the "I Love Lucy" television show and his life after it all went bad
239 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 26, 2018
This book is biographical and inspirational as Keith Thibodeaux tells his story of growing up as "Little Ricky" on the I Love Lucy television show.
With the eyes of a five year old, Keith describes the Arnaz family. He continues the story into his adult life with interesting tidbits, revealing the real Arnaz characters that impacted his life and became like a second family.
Keith gives an honest raw account of his battles with fame, drugs, depression and relationships and his transition to a new life in Christ. This was a good read and the photo section filled with memories of the show is a nice addition.
With the eyes of a five year old, Keith describes the Arnaz family. He continues the story into his adult life with interesting tidbits, revealing the real Arnaz characters that impacted his life and became like a second family.
Keith gives an honest raw account of his battles with fame, drugs, depression and relationships and his transition to a new life in Christ. This was a good read and the photo section filled with memories of the show is a nice addition.
October 21, 2022
Keith Thibodeaux was born in Lafayette, Louisiana and as a little boy, he had a natural ability of playing the drums and was playing professionally with the Horace Heidt Orchestra. As a young prodigy, his father came out to Hollywood and brought his son to an audition for the part of “Little Ricky” at the “I Love Lucy” production set. When Thibodeaux played the drums for Lucille Ball which were on the set, Lucille was so impressed, she said, she had found her “Little Ricky.”
Thibodeaux describes his adventures of working on the show. He says that Lucille Ball was very business-minded, while her husband Desi Arnaz, was warmer and friendlier to Thibodeaux. His professional acting name became “Keith Richard,” as it was felt that Thibodeaux was too hard to pronounce.
Thibodeaux would become friends with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s children, particularly Desi, Jr., who was just a couple of years younger than him. They would pal around, but Thibodeaux got into mischief and would drag Desi, Jr. into his schemes. One time, Lucille Ball got so mad at Thibodeaux for the trouble he got into with her son, that she would not allow the boys to see each other again for several months.
Since Thibodeaux generally hung around the Arnaz family, he was often at their California mansion. He was subjected to hearing and seeing some of the arguments between Desi Arnaz and his wife, and realized that they had some marital problems. He also noticed Desi Arnaz had a temper and when he drank, it would be scary for the young Thibodeaux, although Desi Arnaz was never mean towards him.
Thibodeaux’s father had to be the parental guidance on the set and Thibodeaux said that on some shows it looks like he was staring out into space, but he was actually looking at his father, who would help him if he forgot a line. He was not very good with remembering long dialogue, so the writers gave him shorter lines to memorize. His mother would stay home and be the good wife raising his brothers and sisters.
After the “I Love Lucy” show, Thibodeaux played a friend of Ron Howard’s “Opie” on “The Andy Griffith Show” named Johnny Paul Jason. He never got as close to Ron Howard as he did Desi Arnaz, Jr.
Thibodeaux made a few more appearances on television, including “The Lucy Show,” where unfortunately most of his scene was cut.
Thibodeaux ended up moving back south with his mother, when her marriage broke up due to his father having an affair with a younger woman he met in California. As a teenager in the 1960s, Thibodeaux experimented with drugs and joined a rock band “David and the Giants” as a drummer. He writes about the groupie girls and the partying and drugs. Thibodeaux mentions his anger over his father’s divorce. He also felt responsible because he felt his father met the young woman in California because of him being in California on the “I Love Lucy” show, although his mother assured him that none was his fault. Also, like a lot of former child actors, he felt like he lost his sense of purpose.
Eventually he leaves the band and gets involved with Christianity, which helps him rid himself of his drug addictions and gives him a new direction and purpose in his life. He becomes a born-again Christian and convinces “David and the Giants” to recreate itself as a Christian Rock Bank. As a member of this newly reinvented band, he feels much happier.
He meets his wife Kathy Denton, a professional ballet dancer, through a friend. They would have one daughter, Tara, who also would later grow up to become a dancer as well.
I enjoyed this book. It was mostly interesting to read about the relationship Thibodeaux had with Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball and their children. He says that he still keeps in touch with Desi, Jr. and his sister, Lucie. What a nice experience for him.
Thibodeaux describes his adventures of working on the show. He says that Lucille Ball was very business-minded, while her husband Desi Arnaz, was warmer and friendlier to Thibodeaux. His professional acting name became “Keith Richard,” as it was felt that Thibodeaux was too hard to pronounce.
Thibodeaux would become friends with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s children, particularly Desi, Jr., who was just a couple of years younger than him. They would pal around, but Thibodeaux got into mischief and would drag Desi, Jr. into his schemes. One time, Lucille Ball got so mad at Thibodeaux for the trouble he got into with her son, that she would not allow the boys to see each other again for several months.
Since Thibodeaux generally hung around the Arnaz family, he was often at their California mansion. He was subjected to hearing and seeing some of the arguments between Desi Arnaz and his wife, and realized that they had some marital problems. He also noticed Desi Arnaz had a temper and when he drank, it would be scary for the young Thibodeaux, although Desi Arnaz was never mean towards him.
Thibodeaux’s father had to be the parental guidance on the set and Thibodeaux said that on some shows it looks like he was staring out into space, but he was actually looking at his father, who would help him if he forgot a line. He was not very good with remembering long dialogue, so the writers gave him shorter lines to memorize. His mother would stay home and be the good wife raising his brothers and sisters.
After the “I Love Lucy” show, Thibodeaux played a friend of Ron Howard’s “Opie” on “The Andy Griffith Show” named Johnny Paul Jason. He never got as close to Ron Howard as he did Desi Arnaz, Jr.
Thibodeaux made a few more appearances on television, including “The Lucy Show,” where unfortunately most of his scene was cut.
Thibodeaux ended up moving back south with his mother, when her marriage broke up due to his father having an affair with a younger woman he met in California. As a teenager in the 1960s, Thibodeaux experimented with drugs and joined a rock band “David and the Giants” as a drummer. He writes about the groupie girls and the partying and drugs. Thibodeaux mentions his anger over his father’s divorce. He also felt responsible because he felt his father met the young woman in California because of him being in California on the “I Love Lucy” show, although his mother assured him that none was his fault. Also, like a lot of former child actors, he felt like he lost his sense of purpose.
Eventually he leaves the band and gets involved with Christianity, which helps him rid himself of his drug addictions and gives him a new direction and purpose in his life. He becomes a born-again Christian and convinces “David and the Giants” to recreate itself as a Christian Rock Bank. As a member of this newly reinvented band, he feels much happier.
He meets his wife Kathy Denton, a professional ballet dancer, through a friend. They would have one daughter, Tara, who also would later grow up to become a dancer as well.
I enjoyed this book. It was mostly interesting to read about the relationship Thibodeaux had with Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball and their children. He says that he still keeps in touch with Desi, Jr. and his sister, Lucie. What a nice experience for him.
July 11, 2008
Once again, this is a book I read when I was 11 and wanted to get all the information about "I Love Lucy" as I could. This book was very good when recounting Keith's life as Little Ricky and even his stories about his drug addiction in the 60's and 70's was interesting. Everything after that was sort of boring and I rushed through it just to be finished.
April 6, 2024
I loved it.
Keith told of his time in Hollywood, which he was pushed by his father to get into show business. He didn't pursue it as it wasn't what he really wanted to do. He told that he enjoyed his time, but it wasn't his dream. I enjoyed reading how he was/is close to the Arnaz family and that he was part of their family off screen even after "I Love Lucy" was over.
He turned his life around although it took him many years.
I love that he saw a purpose and began to put his family and family business on top.
Highly recommended.
Keith told of his time in Hollywood, which he was pushed by his father to get into show business. He didn't pursue it as it wasn't what he really wanted to do. He told that he enjoyed his time, but it wasn't his dream. I enjoyed reading how he was/is close to the Arnaz family and that he was part of their family off screen even after "I Love Lucy" was over.
He turned his life around although it took him many years.
I love that he saw a purpose and began to put his family and family business on top.
Highly recommended.
September 21, 2026
I read this a looong time ago and just re-read it. It's fascinating to read what life was like for a child actor back then, what it was like to know the Arnaz family, and then to see how God became real to Keith and transformed his life after he tried to find meaning and identity in drugs, alcohol, fame, and women. I finished it with a great sense of thankfulness for God's goodness and power to help anybody who accepts Jesus' sacrifice on their behalf.
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June 28, 2026I faded out during all the drug use and did not come back when he found god. For something cowritten with an “award winning” writer it did not feel like it, it read more like a student’s oral report.
December 19, 2015
I enjoy anything pertaining to Lucy. "Little Ricky's" autobiography is very interesting. I'm pretty sure I read this book years ago, but when I saw him selling his books at his wife's ballet company's performance, I had to buy it and have him autograph it for me. Just reread it. He has a remarkable Christian testimony and played the drums for David & the Giants whose music I enjoyed back in the 90's. The insights into Lucy and Desi's personalities was a bonus.
June 5, 2009
Great book. Great story. My friend Keith Thibodeaux is a remarkable human being. Couldn't find a nicer, more sincere guy.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews