[2] According to George Burns, Ronnie had been the most sickly baby up for adoption from the agency, and Gracie chose him because she particularly felt he needed their help.

Upon joining the show full-time, numerous episodes revolved around the fictional Ronnie Burns's dating and social life.

[5]: 281 Burns starred in the 1960–61 NBC comedy series Happy, in which he and Yvonne Lime Fedderson played Chris and Sally Day, the parents of a talking baby.

[5]: 311 He made an uncredited appearance as Wallace on the "Young at Heart" episode of The Honeymooners, which featured Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) trying to roller skate with disastrous results.

He was survived by his wife, Janice, three sons from his first marriage: Brent, Brad, and Bryan Burns, six grandchildren, and his adopted sister, Sandra.