Saturday 9: Straw Hat

Saturday 9: The Straw Hat Song (1955)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Desi Arnaz encourages us to laugh and sing instead of concentrating on our troubles. Is this an approach to life you could adopt? Or are you a worrier?

A. I am a worrier. I am one of those people who worry about everything.
 
2) Because Desi's public persona was carefree, people are often surprised to learn his early life was hard. In 1933, his wealthy family was targeted by Cuban revolutionaries. Their home was destroyed and were forced to flee the country. In Miami, they lived in a warehouse and 16-year-old Desi helped support the family by cleaning cages for the man who sold canaries outside a drugstore. Think about your friends and acquaintances. Whose life story turned out to be very different than you originally thought?

A. One of my high school acquaintances, who was in the "A" group, a cheerleader and all of that, and who has since passed away, turned out to have a very different life than I would have expected. In school she seemed to have it all - looks, clothes, etc. But her adult life did not go so well and when I ran into her 30 years later, she looked twice as old as we were and her story was a sad one.

3) While still in his teens, Desi got his first job as an entertainer. As a boy in Cuba, he expected to be a lawyer, not a musician. He only began playing guitar because he noticed girls like musicians and he liked girls. Tell us about a hobby of yours, and what inspired you to pick it up.

A. I play guitar, too. My father and grandfather played, and I followed along.

4) He discovered he was not only a talented musician but a natural leader. By the tender age of 19, he had organized The Desi Arnaz Orchestra and they were performing in Miami hotels. Have you ever been a boss? If so, did you enjoy it?

A. I have been my own boss, and I have been a leader in various civic groups. I don't think I am a good boss. I'm very hard on myself as my own boss. I do okay in leadership positions but I am not keen to repeat the experience.

5) When he was 23, he went to Hollywood to try his hand at movies and met a 28 year old actress named Lucille Ball. In Hollywood back in 1940, it was considered embarrassing for a woman to date a younger man. Their initial attraction was so powerful she quickly got over it. Do you think age matters when it comes to romance?

A. No, I don't think age matters, unless someone is under 18. That person is not old enough to have a clue about life. I married at 20 and that was too young.

6) Desi was the first person to call that famous redhead "Lucy." Throughout her entire life, friends, family and coworkers always referred to her as "Lucille," as she preferred. But Desi insisted on "Lucy." He said that name was his and his alone. Ironically, it became the way the world referred to her. Do you have a pet name for anyone?

A. I call my husband all sorts of different names. I tend to call my brother "Bro" a lot.

7) Lucille and Desi named their son and daughter after themselves. Were you named after anyone?

A. Not really. My middle name could be considered the female derivative of my paternal grandfather's first name, but my mother said that was unintentional on her part.

8) Desi was the founding force behind Desilu. One of the first great production studios of the television age, Desilu grossed $15 million in 1957 (more than $135 million in today's dollars). He credited his success to his unconventional and creative approach to problems. Are you a good problem solver?

A. It depends on the problem. I like to think things through and I like to have a plan. If I were a very good problem solver, then I suppose I would be the force behind some multi-million dollar company, but since I'm not, I guess I am not a good problem solver in that way.

9) Random question: Who annoys you more, a know-it-all or an ignoramus?

A. They're both annoying, but I will go with the ignoramus. That generally is someone who could better his or her knowledge base with a little reading or studying. Ignorance is simply laziness for many people. (I am not talking about people who are mentally deficient in some way. Those people are of course excused.) That said, I try hard not to judge.

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