Little Ricky lives with his parents in a New York brownstone apartment building, which is owned and run by his godparents.
[1] Little Ricky was played by a number of actors, including James John Ganzer, twins Richard and Ronald Lee Simmons, twins Michael and Joseph Mayer[2] and, most notably, Keith Thibodeaux, billed as Little Ricky.
Although the I Love Lucy announcer and the opening credits of The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour gave his stage name as "Little Ricky", in his post-Lucy acting career, particularly his four-year irregular stint on The Andy Griffith Show, he was billed as Richard Keith.
The episode in which he is born, "Lucy goes to the Hospital," was aired on January 19, 1953, the same day as the birth of Lucille Ball's actual son, Desi Arnaz Jr. Little Ricky's father buys him a set of drums in the season 6 episode "Little Ricky Learns to play the Drums," after he shows he can carry a beat while tapping his spoon on a glass during a family breakfast.
Little Ricky experiences stage fright before his first music school recital but seems to overcome stage fright as he performs comfortably in many other episodes, such as "The Ricardos Visit Cuba," where he plays the conga drum alongside his father; "Little Ricky's School Pageant," where he plays the lead; and "Ragtime Band," where Little Ricky plays the drums alongside his mother and godparents.