Ross Bagdasarian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ross S. Bagdasarian
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | January 27, 1919 Fresno, California, U.S.
|
| Died | January 16, 1972 (aged 52) |
| Resting place | Chapel of the Pines Crematory |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1939–1972 |
|
Notable work
|
Alvin and the Chipmunks |
| Style | Novelty music |
| Television | The Alvin Show (1961–62) |
| Spouse(s) |
Armenouhi "Armen" Kulhanjian
(m. 1946) |
| Children | 3, including Ross Jr. |
| Relatives | William Saroyan (cousin) Janice Karman (daughter-in-law) |
Ross S. Bagdasarian (born January 27, 1919 – died January 16, 1972) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is most famous for creating the cartoon music group, Alvin and the Chipmunks. He used the stage name David Seville.
Ross Bagdasarian started as an actor in plays and movies. He became very well known in 1958. This was thanks to his hit songs "Witch Doctor" and "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)". Both of these songs became number one hits. He also produced and directed The Alvin Show, a TV cartoon that aired in 1961–62.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Ross Bagdasarian was born on January 27, 1919, in Fresno, California. His family was Armenian-American. He had two older brothers. The famous writer William Saroyan was his first cousin, and they were very close.
Bagdasarian finished high school in Fresno in 1937. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces. He worked as a control tower operator for four years. He reached the rank of staff sergeant. His stage name, "David Seville," came from the city of Seville in Spain. He was stationed there during his time in the military.
A Creative Career
Ross Bagdasarian had many talents. He was an actor, a singer, and a songwriter.
Acting Roles
Bagdasarian first acted on Broadway in 1939. He played a newsboy in a play called The Time of Your Life. His cousin, William Saroyan, wrote this play.
He also had small parts in several movies. These included Viva Zapata! (1952), Stalag 17 (1953), and Rear Window (1954). In the movie Rear Window, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, he played a piano player. In Stalag 17, he sang the song "I Love You" during a Christmas party scene.
Singing and Songwriting Success
Bagdasarian found great success as a songwriter with the song "Come On-a My House". He wrote this song with his cousin, William Saroyan. It was based on an Armenian folk song. Rosemary Clooney recorded it in 1951, and it became a huge hit. The song sold over a million copies. It helped launch Clooney's career and reached number one on the music charts.
In 1955, Bagdasarian joined Liberty Records. In 1956, he had a popular song called "The Trouble with Harry." He released it under the name Alfi & Harry, but it was just him singing. This song was inspired by a movie by Alfred Hitchcock. It became a hit in both the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Later that year, he released "Armen's Theme" under his David Seville stage name.
Creating David Seville and The Chipmunks
Ross Bagdasarian became very famous with his song "Witch Doctor" in 1958. He created the unique sound for this song by playing with the speed of a tape recorder. He bought the tape recorder for $200, which was a lot of money back then! Liberty Records released the song under the name David Seville. It was a duet between his normal voice and a super-fast, high-pitched voice. The song quickly became a number one hit and sold 1.5 million copies.
After "Witch Doctor," Bagdasarian created his famous trio of Chipmunks. He named them after executives at Liberty Records: Simon, Theodore, and Alvin. Their first song, "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)", came out on November 17, 1958. It became a number one hit by New Year's Day and sold 4 million records in just a few months.
This song won three Grammy Awards in 1959:
- Best Recording for Children
- Best Comedy Performance
- Best Non-Classical Engineered Song
Bagdasarian won the first two awards as David Seville. "The Chipmunk Song" became one of the most popular Christmas songs of the 20th century.
A writer for Life magazine noted in 1959 that Bagdasarian was unique. He wrote, composed, published, conducted, and sang all the voices for his hit songs. This meant he earned all the money from them! It was also amazing because he couldn't read or write music, or play any musical instrument in the usual way.
Bagdasarian owned a company called Chipmunk Enterprises. This company handled all the sales related to the Chipmunks. By 1963, many companies were using Alvin figures for their products. By that year, Billboard magazine estimated that the Chipmunks' music sales brought in about $20 million. That's like $171 million today!
The Chipmunks released many more hit songs, including:
- "Alvin's Harmonica" (1959)
- "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" (1959)
- "Alvin's Orchestra" (1960)
- "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" (1960)
- "The Alvin Twist" (1962)
- The album The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits (1964)
Bagdasarian then created The Alvin Show, a cartoon TV show. It was shown on CBS from October 1961 to September 1962.
Personal Life and Legacy
Ross Bagdasarian married Armenouhi "Armen" Kulhanjian in 1946. They had three children: Carol, Ross Jr., and Adam. The family lived in Los Angeles starting in 1950.
In the 1960s, he owned a grape ranch in California called the Chipmunk Ranch. He also bought a winery called Sierra Wine Corp.
Ross Bagdasarian passed away from a heart attack at his home in Beverly Hills, California on January 16, 1972. He was 52 years old, just eleven days before his 53rd birthday. He was cremated and buried at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles.
Bagdasarian left the Chipmunks to his wife and three children. His son, Ross Jr., loved his father's work and wanted to continue it. Ross Jr. and his wife Janice Karman took over the Chipmunks franchise in the late 1970s. Ross Jr. became the full owner of the Chipmunks in the mid-1990s.
Music Albums
- The Music of David Seville (1957)
- The Witch Doctor Presents: David Seville...and his Friends (1958)
- Let's All Sing with the Chipmunks (1959)
- The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits (1964)
- Chipmunks ‘a Go-Go (1965)
- The Mixed-up World of Bagdasarian (1966)
- The Alvin Show
Film and TV Appearances
- The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
- Viva Zapata! (1952)
- The Stars Are Singing (1953)
- Destination Gobi (1953)
- The Girls of Pleasure Island (1953)
- Stalag 17 (1953)
- Alaska Seas (1954)
- Rear Window (1954)
- Kismet (1955)
- Hot Blood (1956)
- The Proud and Profane (1956)
- Three Violent People (1956)
- The Devil's Hairpin (1957)
- The Deep Six (1958)
- The Alvin Show (1961–1962, TV Series) - Voice of Alvin, Simon, Theodore and David Seville
See also
In Spanish: Ross Bagdasarian Sr. para niños
- Armenian Americans in Los Angeles
