Biography

Ross Bagdasarian

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Composer, prolific songwriter ("Come On-a My House", "Witch Doctor", "Chipmunk Song"), author, actor, producer, impressionist, educated at Coll. Writer, and has made many records. He joined ASCAP in 1951, and specialized in catchy, hummable melodies. Some of his other popular-song compositions include "Armen's Theme"; "Safari"; "Freddy, Freddy"; "Copyright 1960"; "Medicore"; "Sack Time"; "A Little Beauty"; "The Prom"; "Bagdad Express"; "Little Brass Band"; "Maria from Madrid"; "Gotta Get to Your House"; "The Donkey and the School Boy", and many more.
- IMDb mini biography by: Hup234!

Named the Chipmunks after executives at Liberty Records, who released Seville's and the Chipmunks' albums. Alvin was named for company president Alvin Bennett, Simon for company vice-president/record producer Si Waronker, and Theodore for recording engineer Ted Keep.
Took the professional name of David Seville because he'd been stationed in Seville, Spain, during World War II and liked the area.
Got the idea for the 1958 hit "The Chipmunk Song" ("Christmas, Don't Be Late") from his youngest son, Adam, who began asking when Christmas was coming in July. Bagdasarian began to wonder whether other children were thinking the same thing, and these thoughts evolved into what's become a Yuletide classic and a #1 hit when it was released.
Cousin of author William Saroyan, with whom he collaborated on the song "Come On-a My House," Rosemary Clooney's all-time biggest hit.
Singer. a.k.a. David Seville of Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Every time I write a song I keep a mental picture of a housewife with her hands in soapy water, listening to the radio. I try to figure out how to get her hands out of the dishwater to turn up the volume, to hear my song.
On his initial success with the Chipmunks, 1958: "It was a wonderful sight to see stacks of my records piled high on a cigar store counter and selling as fast as the clerk could take the money."
On how his breakthrough hit, "Witch Doctor," came to be recorded, 1958: "When the tape was moving at half-speed, I said 'ting tang' and then I remembered an uncle who had moved to the state of Washington and I sputtered 'walla walla' topped off with a resounding 'bing bang.'"

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