Armenians

THEIR GROUNDBREAKING CONTRIBUTIONS REFLECT A LEGACY OF INNOVATION THAT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS

Ross Bagdasarian

Imaginative mind behind beloved animated adventures

Creator of Alvin and The Chipmunks

Bio


Born Rostom Sipan Bagdasarian in 1919, Ross Bagdasarian was also known by the stage name David Seville.


A native of Fresno, California, Bagdasarian was a pianist, singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. Today he is remembered most as the creator of Alvin and the Chipmunks.


As a youth, Bagdasarian appeared on Broadway as part of the cast of The Time of Your Life, authored by his cousin, William Saroyan. Before he achieved fame with the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise, Bagdasarian had considerable success with “Come on-a My House,” a song he wrote with Saroyan and which was sung by Kay Armen and later Rosemary Clooney.


Bagdasarian’s first Chipmunks composition, the 1958 smash hit “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late),” received two Grammy Awards in 1959.


In addition to his Chipmunks compositions, Bagdasarian recorded numerous singles as well as three albums, including 1966’s The Mixed-up World of Bagdasarian.


Bagdasarian died in 1972.

Ross Bagdasarian