Song:The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
Album:Chipmunks Christmas
1958 was a big year for Ross Bagdasarian. As David Seville, he scored a number one hit with Witch Doctor. Then he scored a second number one hit with The Chipmunk Song. And those chipmunks are Bagdasarian's legacy because they are still around. He was born Feb. 27, 1919 in Fresno, CA. His cousin was famed playwright William Saroyan. The two wrote the 1951 Rosemary Clooney hit Come On-a My House. Bagdasarian did some acting most notably as the piano player in the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film Rear Window. This led to the minor hit Alfi and Harry based on the 1956 Hitchcock film The Trouble With Harry. But then he bought a tape recorder that allowed him to vary the recording speed. That led to the 1958 #1 hit Witch Doctor. While driving in Sequoia National Park, a chipmunk dashed in front of his car. That inspired Alvin & The Chipmunks. He was very smart to give them individual personalities. It wouldn't have worked if it had been generic. The Chipmunk Song topped the charts in 1958 and it became a Christmas perennial. Bagdasarian recorded all the voices. He signed with Liberty Records. Though other Chipmunks songs charted, Bagdasarian never had another big hit. He didn't need it because he turned Alvin & The Chipmunks first into a comic book and then The Alvin Show TV series in 1961. Ross Bagdasarian died on Jan. 16, 1972 at age 52. His son Ross Bagdasarian Jr. runs the company today and he continues to produce films and TV shows. Here's David Seville with Alvin & The Chipmunks performing The Christmas Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) on The Ed Sullivan Show Dec. 13, 1959.
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