Alvin and the Chipmunks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alvin and the Chipmunks
Background information
Origin	Fresno, California, U.S.
Genres	Pop, dance, hip hop, country, children's music
Years active	1958–1972 1979–present
Labels	Liberty, RCA, Sony Wonder, Quality, Chipmunk, Atlantic
Members	Alvin Seville Simon Seville Theodore Seville

Alvin and the Chipmunks is a super famous American animated music group. It was created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group has three animated chipmunks who can sing and talk just like humans! Their names are Alvin, Simon, and Theodore.

A kind man named Dave Seville manages the trio. He also adopted the chipmunks. Fun fact: "David Seville" was actually the stage name of Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. The chipmunks themselves are named after important people at their first record label. These characters became very popular. They soon starred in animated cartoons and later in movies!

How the Voices Were Made

Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. did all the voices for the group himself. He would record his own voice and then play it back much faster. This made the funny, high-pitched voices we all know! This special way of recording was so amazing that it won two Grammy Awards for musical engineering. Bagdasarian, as the Chipmunks, released many albums and songs.

After Bagdasarian passed away in 1972, the Chipmunks were brought back to life in the 1980s and 1990s. His son, Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., and his wife, Janice Karman, took over doing the voices.

The Chipmunks on the Big Screen

A computer-animated movie about the Chipmunks came out in 2007. It was simply called Alvin and the Chipmunks. This movie was so popular that it had three sequels:

• Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009)
• Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011)
• Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)

In these movies, actors like Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Jesse McCartney did the talking voices for the Chipmunks. Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman still did the singing voices for Alvin, Theodore, and the Chipettes. Steve Vining sings for Simon. The Chipmunks have won many awards, including five Grammy Awards, an American Music Award, a Golden Reel Award, and three Kids' Choice Awards. They have also been nominated for three Emmy awards!

Meet the Main Characters

• David "Dave" Seville: He is the human who adopted the Chipmunks. He is like their dad and manager. In the movies, Jason Lee plays Dave.
• Alvin: He is the lead singer and the oldest of the Chipmunk brothers. Alvin is known for being a bit mischievous and always wanting to have fun! Justin Long voices Alvin in the movies. Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. does his singing voice.
• Simon: He is the middle brother and very smart. Simon often wears glasses and is the logical one in the group. Matthew Gray Gubler voiced Simon in the movies. Steve Vining does his singing voice.
• Theodore: He is the youngest Chipmunk brother. Theodore is sweet, shy, and loves food. Jesse McCartney voices Theodore in the movies. Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. does his singing voice.
• The Chipettes: This is a girl group of chipmunks! They are Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor.
  • Brittany: Voiced by Christina Applegate in the movies.
  • Jeanette: Voiced by Anna Faris.
  • Eleanor: Voiced by Amy Poehler in the second and third films, and Kaley Cuoco in the fourth film.
• Ian Hawke: He used to be a rival to Dave and the Chipmunks. David Cross plays him in the movies.
• Agent James Suggs: He is a U.S. Air Marshal who becomes a challenge for the Chipmunks. Tony Hale plays him.

Other Characters You Might Know

• Claire Wilson, played by Cameron Richardson
• Gail, played by Jane Lynch
• Toby Seville, played by Zachary Levi
• Zoe, played by Jenny Slate
• Simone, voiced by Alan Tudyk
• Samantha, played by Kimberly Williams-Paisley
• Ashley Grey, played by Bella Thorne
• Miles, played by Josh Green

See also

In Spanish: Alvin and the Chipmunks para niños