MARCO RIZO

Although best known for composing the indelible theme to the television classic I Love Lucy, Marco Rizo was also a renowned classical pianist, deftly fusing traditional techniques with the more modern approaches of swing and Afro-Cuban jazz. Born in 1920 in Santiago, Cuba, he was the son of Sebastian Rizo, the principal flutist with the Santiago Symphony Orchestra; at the age of 12, Rizo entered Havana's National Conservatory of Music, where he studied under Spanish composer Pedro San Juan, and by his mid-teens he was widely regarded as one of the nation's most promising young pianists. By the age of 18 Rizo was the official pianist with the Havana Philharmonic, and after a 1939 appearance alongside the renowned Ernesto Lecuona, he received a scholarship to New York's Julliard School of Music to study under Rosina Lhevinne. After serving in World War II, he returned to New York, crossing paths with a childhood friend named Desi Arnaz, now the singer and bandleader behind such hits as "Babalu" -- Arnaz invited Rizo to join his band as pianist and arranger, and he remained with the group for over a decade. When the CBS television network decided to base a sitcom on the lives of Arnaz and his actress wife, Lucille Ball, Rizo penned the series' Latin-tinged theme song, easily one of the most recognizable title tunes in TV history. During this period he also recorded a series of LPs for the Tico label, among them The Latin Touch, Morning Melody and Piano and Percussion. After relocating to Hollywood in 1959, Rizo remained on the CBS payroll, serving as the pianist and musical director for the Bob Hope Radio Show and headlining his own nightclub act. He also arranged recording sessions for artists including Carmen Miranda, Danny Kaye and Yma Sumac. In 1989 Rizo won the Silver Medal of the French Academy of Arts, Science and Letters for his efforts in promoting and preserving traditional Latin music; he died in New York City on September 8, 1998.
© Jason Ankeny /TiVo