Editing Ross Bagdasarian (section)

===Singing and songwriting===
Bagdasarian's first major success with songwriting came with "[[Come On-a My House]]", which he co-wrote with William Saroyan in 1939. The song was rejected by many record companies as being "too ethnic", and it was not recorded until 1950 (by [[Kay Armen]]). The songwriters themselves recorded it as a duet in 1951. [[Mitch Miller]] of [[Columbia Records]] came across the song and persuaded [[Rosemary Clooney]] to record it.<ref name=bronson /> It became a million-selling hit.<ref name="Talevski"/> It is an adaptation of an Armenian folk song Bagdasarian wrote with his cousin [[William Saroyan]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Holden |first1=Stephen |author-link1=Stephen Holden |title=Pop/Jazz; Clooney and Bennett, Old-School Professionals |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/09/arts/pop-jazz-clooney-and-bennett-old-school-professionals.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 9, 1986}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Tyler|first1=Don|title=Music of the Postwar Era|date=2008|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9780313341915|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=2dgJVseZAlsC&dq=Bagdasarian&pg=PA60 60]}}</ref><ref name="Bentley09"/> The song was originally composed for their [[off-Broadway]] musical ''The Son''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gentry |first1=Philip |title=Whiteness and Sex in the Music of Rosemary Clooney |journal=American Music Review |publisher=The H. Wiley Hitchcock Institute for Studies in American Music, Conservatory of Music, [[Brooklyn College]] of the [[City University of New York]] |date=2014 |volume=43 |issue=2 |url=http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/aca_centers_hitchcock/AMR_43-2_Gentry.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923100756/http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/aca_centers_hitchcock/AMR_43-2_Gentry.pdf |archive-date=September 23, 2020 }}</ref> It launched Clooney's career, reaching number one on [[List of Billboard number-one singles of 1951|''Billboard'' charts]] and was number four on 
[[Billboard year-end top 30 singles of 1951|''Billboard'' year-end top 30 singles of 1951]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Orozco|first1=Ron|title=Fresno Art Museum show marks 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide|url=http://www.fresnobee.com/entertainment/performing-arts/article19531635.html|work=[[The Fresno Bee]]|date=22 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020194934/http://www.fresnobee.com/entertainment/performing-arts/article19531635.html|archive-date=20 October 2017}}</ref> The song sold some 750,000 records in a month.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Ross |first1=Lillian |last2=Gill |first2=Brendan |author-link1=Lillian Ross (journalist) |author-link2=Brendan Gill |title=Everything A Song Ross |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1951/09/08/everything-a-song-ross |magazine=[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]] |date=8 September 1951}}</ref> In 1954, Bagdasarian wrote "[[Hey, Brother, Pour the Wine]]", a hit for [[Dean Martin]].<ref name="Talevski"/>

In 1955 Bagdasarian signed with the then newly established [[Liberty Records]]. In early 1956 he had a transcontinental hit with the novelty record "The Trouble with Harry" (inspired by the [[The Trouble with Harry|homonymous Hitchcock film]]) credited to Alfi & Harry,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lewis |first1=Uncle Dave |title=Alfi & Harry |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alfi-harry-mn0000992997 |website=allmusic.com |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819181542/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alfi-harry-mn0000992997/biography |archive-date=19 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=McClement |first1=Ron |title=Ross Bagdasarian, a.k.a. David Seville |url=http://www.rockabilly.nl/artists/dseville.htm |website=rockabilly.nl |publisher=BlackCat Rockabilly Europe |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317015645/http://www.rockabilly.nl/artists/dseville.htm |archive-date=17 March 2020 |date=2001}}</ref> although Alfi & Harry was just one person, Bagdasarian himself.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SyUJAQAAMAAJ |title= Liberty Records: A History of the Recording Company and Its Stars, 1955-1971 |first= Michael Bryan |last=Kelly |date=1993|page=19 |isbn=9780899507408 |publisher=McFarland }}</ref> It reached No. 44 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' chart]]<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Top 100 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=February 4, 1956 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=vB4EAAAAMBAJ&q=The+Trouble+with+Harry%22+Alfi+%26+Harry+billboard&pg=PA40 40]}}</ref> and was a bigger hit in the United Kingdom reaching No. 15.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Trouble With Harry |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/the-trouble-with-harry/ |website=officialcharts.com |publisher=[[Official Charts Company|The Official UK Charts Company]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813114837/https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/the-trouble-with-harry/ |archive-date=13 August 2020}}</ref>

In 1956, he wrote an instrumental "Armen's Theme" named after his wife.  The executives at Liberty Records suggested that he adopt a pseudonym as they thought his name too difficult to pronounce.<ref name=bronson /> In December 1956, he charted with his first record credited to his David Seville pseudonym, and "Armen's Theme" reached  No. 42 on the ''Billboard'' chart.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Drake |first1=Howard |title=Armen's Theme By: David Seville |url=https://www.musicvf.com/song.php?title=Armen%27s+Theme+by+David+Seville&id=10937 |website=musicvf.com |publisher=Music VF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819184321/https://www.musicvf.com/song.php?title=Armen%2527s+Theme+by+David+Seville&id=10937 |archive-date=19 August 2021}}</ref>

====Dave Seville and the Chipmunks====
[[File:Ross Bagdasarian Sr.jpg|thumb|right|Bagdasarian pictured in the 1950s]]
Bagdasarian's rise to prominence came with the song "[[Witch Doctor (song)|Witch Doctor]]" in 1958,<ref name="Bill63"/> which was created after he experimented with the speed control on a [[tape recorder]] bought with $200 ({{Inflation|US|200|1958|r=-2|fmt=eq}}) from the family savings.<ref name="people"/> [[Liberty Records]] released this [[novelty record]] under the David Seville name. It is a duet between his real voice and accelerated version.<ref name="Talevski"/> The record went on to become a [[List of Billboard number-one singles of 1958|''Billboard'' number-one single]] by April 28, 1958, and further established him as a songwriter.<ref name="Bentley09"/> It sold 1.5 million copies.<ref name="Adams"/>

Bagdasarian went on to create his trio of Chipmunks named after the executives of Liberty Records: Simon, Theodore, and Alvin, named for [[Simon Waronker|Simon "Si" Waronker]], [[Theodore Keep|Theodore "Ted" Keep]], and Alvin Bennett.<ref name="Talevski"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/chipmunk-song-turns-60-secrets-a-holiday-classic-1169762/|website=The Hollywood Reporter|title="The Chipmunk Song" Turns 60: Secrets of a Holiday Novelty Smash|first=Stephen|last=Cox|date=December 21, 2018|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref> Their debut song, "[[The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)]]" was released on November 17, 1958, and became a number one hit by New Years Day.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Beck |first1=Jerry |author-link1=Jerry Beck |title=The Animated Movie Guide |date=2005 |publisher=Chicago Review Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/animatedmoviegui0000beck/page/53 <!-- quote=Bagdasarian cousin william saroyan. --> 53]}}</ref> The song sold 4 million records in the first few months.<ref name="nyt"/> It topped ''Billboard'' charts the two weeks before and two weeks after New Years and won three Grammy Awards at the [[1st Annual Grammy Awards]] on May 4, 1959: [[Grammy Award for Best Album for Children|Best Recording for Children]], [[Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album|Best Comedy Performance]], and [[Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical#1950s|Best Non-Classical Engineered Song]].<ref name="latimes"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dessem |first1=Matthew |title=A Look Back at the Most Legendary Grammy Wins of All Time |url=https://slate.com/culture/2017/02/a-look-back-at-the-greatest-grammy-winners-ever.html |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |date=12 February 2017}}</ref> Bagdasarian won the first two as David Seville. The song was the 23rd most performed Christmas song of the 20th century.<ref>According to the [[American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers]]. {{cite book |last1=Crump |first1=William D. |title=The Christmas Encyclopedia |date=2013 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9781476605739 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=OSuXAAAAQBAJ&dq=David+Seville+bagdasarian&pg=PA71 71] |edition=3rd}}</ref>

[[Shana Alexander]], writing for ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine in 1959, noted that Bagdasarian was the first case in the "annals of popular music that one man has served as writer, composer, publisher, conductor and multiple vocalist of a hit record, thereby directing all possible revenues from the song back into his pocket." Alexander also found it remarkable that Bagdasarian "can neither read nor write music nor play any musical instrument in the accepted sense of the word."<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Alexander |first1=Shana |title=Alvin! Composer's yells at son inspire another chipmunk hit |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]] |date=23 March 1959 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=EFIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA43 43-44]|author-link=Shana Alexander}} 23 March 1959</ref> Bagdasarian owned Chipmunk Enterprises, which sponsored Chipmunk-related sales. By 1963, some 15 companies were using or planned to use Alvin figures. By that year, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine estimated the total income from the Chipmunks' record sales (including overseas sales) and record club sales to be around $20 million (${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|20,000,000|1963|r=-6}}}} adjusted for inflation in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}} dollars).<ref name="Bill63">{{cite magazine |title=Alvin Plunges Into Side Lines |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=6 April 1963 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=MQoEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Bagdasarian&pg=PA16 16]}}</ref>

In the following years, the Chipmunks released several hit songs: "Alvin's Harmonica" (1959), "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" (1959), "Alvin's Orchestra" (1960), "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" (1960), "The Alvin Twist" (1962), and the album ''[[The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits]]'' in 1964 during the [[British Invasion]].<ref name="Talevski"/>

Bagdasarian produced ''[[The Alvin Show]]'', a half-hour TV cartoon show broadcast on [[CBS]] from October 1961 to September 1962.<ref name="nyt"/>

In 1968, Alvin and the Chipmunks recorded a version of "The Chipmunk Song" with the rock band [[Canned Heat]], who also recorded for Liberty Records.