 | |
| PERFORMER | Christopher Cerf voice |
| DEBUT | 1973 |
| PATTERN | Fat Blue |
Jim Henson puppeteering Chrissy for "Count It Higher."
Little Chrissy (occasionally addressed as Chrissy or Chris) is the lead singer and piano player for Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats. He is voiced by his namesake, Christopher Cerf, who also wrote most of the character's songs.
Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats first appeared on Sesame Street in 1973, performing the song "Count it Higher." Other songs by the band include "Exit," "You're Alive," "Rock 'N Roll Readers," and "Cluck Around the Clock." Little Chrissy has also appeared solo in songs such as "Eight Balls of Fur," "Raise Your Hand," "The Opposite Song," and "Wet or Dry."
Little Chrissy occasionally appeared with Big Jeffie of Little Jerry and the Monotones in several songs and street stories during seasons 21 through 23. In Episodes 2867 and 2972, in which Elmo joins them, Little Chrissy is referenced as a member of Little Jerry's band.
His latest appearance to date occurred in Season 30, acting as piano accompanist to Patti LaBelle's rendition of "Gospel Alphabet."
Notes
- In his first appearance, the puppetry for Little Chrissy was performed by Jim Henson. Other performers who have puppeteered Little Chrissy include Frank Oz in a sketch where Don Music rewrote "Yankee Doodle,"[1] Richard Hunt in "Rock 'N Roll Readers," Kevin Clash in "Eight Balls Of Fur," "Cluck Around the Clock," and "Gospel Alphabet," and David Rudman in Episode 2867.[2][3]
- In "Eight Balls of Fur," Little Chrissy demolishes his piano from aggressively playing it. This was a reference to Cerf's reputation for breaking so many pianos in the studio over the years.[4]
- A monster closely resembling Little Chrissy and voiced by Chris Cerf appeared as one of the Frazzletones in the song "Frazzle."
- According to the song "Baby Brother," Little Chrissy has a younger brother named Wardell.
Episodic appearances
- Episode 1729
- Episode 1815
- Episode 2043
- Episode 2346
- Episode 2629
- Episode 2668
- Episode 2745
- Episode 2867
- Episode 2972
Album appearances
Book appearances
- See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Smell No Evil (1975)
- The Sesame Street Dictionary (1980)
- Fooled You, Bert! (1981)
- The Amazing Mumford Presents the Magic Weather Show (1981)
- Trace & Color: Alphabet (1984)
- Count to Ten (1986)
- Just Like Ernie (1988)
- Sesame Street Lift-and-Peek Party! (1998)
See also
- Chrissy (member of Little Jerry and the Monotones)
Sources
- ↑ Pastimes, March 1976 issue, includes a photo of Frank performing Chrissy and the Lavender Alphabeat
- ↑ Documents provided by trusted source
- ↑ Stephanie D'Abruzzo on Twitter, December 18, 2018 tweet
- ↑ The Atlantic "The Songsmiths of Sesame Street" by Julie Beck, March 29, 2019