Ross S. Bagdasarian Sr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 27, 1919 Fresno, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 16, 1972 (aged 52) |
| Resting place | Chapel of the Pines Crematory |
| Other names | David Seville (stage name) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1939–1972 |
| Notable work | Alvin and the Chipmunks |
| Style | Novelty music[1] |
| Television | The Alvin Show (1961–62) |
| Spouse |
Armenouhi "Armen" Kulhanjian
(m. 1946) |
| Children | 3, including Ross Jr. |
| Relatives | William Saroyan (cousin) Janice Karman (daughter-in-law) Aram Saroyan (first cousin once removed) Lucy Saroyan (first cousin once removed) Strawberry Saroyan (first cousin twice removed) |
Ross S. Bagdasarian[a] (/bæɡdəˈsɛəriən/; January 27, 1919 – January 16, 1972), known professionally by his stage name David "Dave" Seville,[3] was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor of Armenian descent best known for creating the cartoon band Alvin and the Chipmunks. Initially a stage and film actor, he rose to prominence in 1958 with the songs "Witch Doctor" and "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)", which both became Billboard number-one singles. He produced and directed The Alvin Show, which aired on CBS in 1961–62.
- ^ Lapka, Larry. "David Seville". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020.
- ^ Arnold 2019, p. 25.
- ^ Studwell, William E. (1996). "From "Jingle Bells" to "Jingle Bell Rock"". Music Reference Services Quarterly. 5 (1): 5. doi:10.1300/J116v05n01_01.
...for the pseudonym he used for the chipmunk enterprise, David Seville, is far better remembered than his real name.
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