▁character ▁name ▁" Lar ry ▁L ope z " ▁was ▁dropped ▁because ▁of ▁a ▁real - life ▁band le ader ▁named ▁Vincent ▁L ope z , ▁and ▁was ▁replaced ▁with ▁" R icky ▁Ric ardo ". ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁Henry ▁Richard , ▁a ▁family ▁friend ▁and ▁the ▁brother ▁of ▁P . C . ▁Richard ▁of ▁P . C . ▁Richard ▁& ▁Son . ▁This ▁name ▁transl ates ▁to ▁En rique ▁Ric ardo . ▁R icky ▁often ▁appeared ▁at , ▁and ▁later ▁owned , ▁the ▁Trop icana ▁Club , ▁which ▁under ▁his ▁ownership ▁he ▁renamed ▁Club ▁Bab alu . ▁ ▁Initial ly , ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁having ▁Ball ▁and ▁the ▁distinct ly ▁Latin ▁American ▁Arn az ▁port ray ▁a ▁married ▁couple ▁encountered ▁resistance ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁told ▁that ▁Des i ' s ▁Cub an ▁acc ent ▁and ▁Latin ▁style ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁agree able ▁to ▁American ▁view ers . ▁The ▁couple ▁over c ame ▁these ▁ob jections , ▁however , ▁by ▁tour ing ▁together , ▁during ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁in ▁a ▁live ▁v au dev ille ▁act ▁they ▁developed ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁Spanish ▁c low n ▁P ep ito ▁Pérez , ▁together ▁with ▁Ball ' s ▁radio ▁show ▁writers . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁material ▁from ▁their ▁v au dev ille ▁act , ▁including ▁Lucy ' s ▁memor able ▁se al ▁routine , ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁pilot ▁episode ▁of ▁I ▁Love ▁Lucy . ▁Seg ments ▁of ▁the ▁pilot ▁were ▁re created ▁in ▁the ▁sixth ▁episode