Ross Bagdasarian Jr.

Bagdasarian was born in Fresno, California in 1949,{{cite web |title=Squeak of Success |url=https://people.com/archive/squeak-of-success-vol-39-no-7/ |website=people.com}} the son of Armenian-American parents Armenuhi Bagdasarian (née Kulhanjian) and Ross Bagdasarian (1919–1972). As a child, he worked with his father on The Alvin Show by helping edit and coordinate the soundtracks and falsetto voice-overs of the Chipmunks.

Bagdasarian graduated from law school. He succeeded his father{{cite news |last=Pearson |first=Ryan |title=The Chipmunks have a very close family |url=http://www.projo.com/movies/content/lb_Chipmunk_creator_12-14-07_GH87SDE_v8.fcee91.html |newspaper=The Providence Journal |agency=Associated Press |date=December 14, 2007 |access-date=December 14, 2010}} as president of Bagdasarian Productions in 1972 after the death of the elder Bagdasarian. The company had fallen into obscurity after significant success between 1958 and the late 1960s. Bagdasarian was also admitted to the California bar as an attorney in 1975.{{cite web |url=http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Licensee/Detail/65100 |title = Ross Bagdasarian # 65100 - Attorney Licensee Search}}

Under Bagdasarian's supervision, new Chipmunks records were created shortly after his marriage to Karman, including Chipmunk Punk. In 1981, the Chipmunks returned to television in the cartoon special A Chipmunk Christmas. Two years later, Ruby-Spears Productions' Alvin and the Chipmunks Saturday morning cartoon series debuted on NBC. Based on that series, a feature film, The Chipmunk Adventure was released in 1987. Bagdasarian voices Alvin, Simon, and Dave Seville, and Karman voices Theodore and the Chipettes (Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor).

Bagdasarian and Karman hold tight creative and financial control over the Chipmunk franchise, reviewing each and every business contract in great detail. In the mid-90s, Bagdasarian bought out his brother's and sister's portions of the Chipmunk rights, to take complete control of the franchise.

Bagdasarian licensed the rights to the Chipmunk characters to Universal Pictures in 1996, resulting in a string of Universal-produced direct-to-video films. Four years later, he and Karman sued them for breach of contract, claiming that Universal failed to properly utilize, market, and merchandise the characters and hence resulting in a loss of royalties to Bagdasarian.{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9501E1D71538F937A2575AC0A9669C8B63 |title='Chipmunks' Creators Sue Universal |work=The New York Times |date=September 14, 2000 |access-date=March 11, 2014}} The case was decided in Bagdasarian's favor. "For us, it was a custody battle", Karman said. "They finally realized 'OK, these two are really fighting for their kids'."

Bagdasarian married Janice Karman in 1980. She is the co-president of Bagdasarian Productions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/12/20/678678276/the-chipmunks-ross-bagdasarian-jr-janice-karman|title = The Chipmunks: Ross Bagdasarian Jr. & Janice Karman|website = NPR.org}}

{{Main|Alvin and the Chipmunks in film}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120213135927/http://www.chipmunks.com/history.php History at Chipmunks.com]
• {{IMDb name|0046559|Ross Bagdasarian Jr.}}

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{{s-ttl|title= President of Bagdasarian Productions|years=1978–present}}

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{{succession box | before = Ross Bagdasarian |title = Voice of Dave Seville | years = 1978–present| after=Incumbent}}

{{succession box | before = Ross Bagdasarian |title = Voice of Alvin & The Chipmunks | years= 1978–present | after= Incumbent}}

{{succession box | before = Ross Bagdasarian |title = Voice of Alvin Seville | years = 1978–present| after=Incumbent}}

{{succession box | before = Ross Bagdasarian |title = Voice of Simon Seville | years = 1978–present| after=Incumbent}}

{{succession box | before = Ross Bagdasarian |title = Voice of Theodore Seville | years = 1978–present| after=Incumbent}}

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Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:20th-century American screenwriters

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:Alvin and the Chipmunks

Category:American male voice actors

Category:American people of Armenian descent

Category:Animators from California

Category:Film producers from California

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Fresno, California

Category:Record producers from California

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)