ARNAZ BRINGS FRED MERTZ TO CHEER EL PRESIDENTE WITH HIS PATENTED SOFT SHOE ROUTINEHAVANA - A Spanish newspaper reported today that Fidel Castro is near death, and Cuban-born musician and television producer Desi Arnaz made his first trip to his native country in decades this morning to fulfill Castro's deathbed wish to hear "Babalu," Arnaz's biggest hit, one last time. Arnaz brought his next-door neighbor, ex-vaudevillian Fred Mertz with him to Havana to cheer Castro with his patented soft shoe routine.
"El Presidente had been calling for 'Babalu' for days," said one of Castro's nurses who spoke on condition of anonymity. The mood at the hospital reportedly was tense because while Arnaz and his band were setting up, the President's brother, acting Cuban President Raul Castro, asked Fidel if he "should kill [Arnaz]." Fidel's secretary quickly interceded and informed Raul that Mr. Arnaz had been married to Lucille Ball, "the zany redhead you are so crazy about." Raul smiled: "She funny," he said. "She very funny."
A look of contentment swept over Castro's face as the first bars of the song filled the room. "Now I can die in peace," he was heard to mutter. "Desi Arnaz has returned to Cuba."
