The Chipmunk Song - Music

Rostom Sipan Bagdasarian January 27 1919 – January 16 1972 American Pianist Songwriter Actor And Record Producer Was Born In Fresno California And Was Of Armenian Ethnic Descent. During His Professional Life He Was Better Known By The Stage Name David Seville Which He Used On His Recordings Featuring The Chipmunks. His First Musical Success Was Rosemary Clooney's "Come On-A My House" Which He Based The Lyrics On Dialogue From His Famous Cousin William Saroyan's Novel The Human Comedy. He Had A Moderate Hit In 1956 Under The Name Alfi & Harry With The Novelty Record "The Trouble With Harry." As David Seville He Had Another #1 Record In His Song "The Witch Doctor" Which Was Also His First Experiment With The Technique Of Speeding Up The Playback Of An Audio Track To Get The "most-Distinctive" Higher Pitched Squeaky Comical Sound. This Success Led To His Recording Of "The Chipmunk Song Christmas Don't Be Late " With The Chipmunks. Bagdasarian Also Appeared In Minor Film Roles Including Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window 1954 In Which He Plays An Obsessed Piano-Playing Songwriter Who Composes Plays And Sings A Song Called "Lisa." Bagdasarian's Dialogue Is Not Clearly Heard And He Appears Only In Long Shots But He Is The Only Other Person Seen During Hitchcock's Notorious Cameo Appearance. He Also Had Bit Parts In The Greatest Show On Earth 1952 Viva Zapata! 1952 Destination Gobi 1953 Stalag 17 1953 Alaska Seas 1954 The Proud And Profane 1956 Three Violent People 1956 Hot Blood 1956 The Deep Six 1957 And The Devil's Hairpin 1957 . He Also Provided The Voice For The David Seville Character In The Chipmunks' 1961 Animated Television Series The Alvin Show. Bagdasarian Died Of A Heart Attack At The Age Of 52. He Was Subsequently Cremated At The Chapel Of The Pines Crematory In Los Angeles California. His Son Ross Bagdasarian Jr. Continued To Release Chipmunks Recordings And Took Over As The Voice For The Chipmunk Characters In Subsequent Iterations Of The Cartoon. read less