Little Chrissy

Little Chrissy singing "You're Alive."

Little Chrissy 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. Jim Henson usually performed the actual puppet until his death in 1990. Frank Oz puppeteered Little Chrissy in a sketch where Don Music rewrote "Yankee Doodle".

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 sometimes been backed by Big Jeffy, often filling in for the Lavender Alphabeat (both voiced by Jeff Moss), in the songs "Gonna Rock You to Sleep", "I Go to School" and "Startin' Kindergarten". The two have sung with Elmo on a few occasions, including a doo-wop version of "London Bridges".

Little Chrissy occasionally performed without the Alphabeats, in songs such as "Eight Balls of Fur", "Raise Your Hand", "The Opposite Song" and "Wet or Dry". He also can be seen in the audience of The Amazing Mumford's magic act in the storybook, The Amazing Mumford Presents the Magic Weather Show.

His most recent appearance occurred in Season 30, acting as piano accompanist to Patti LaBelle's rendition of "Gospel Alphabet".

Monster Variant

Meanwhile, when Little Chrissy was a piano player, the original Little Chrissy puppet isn't the only one that was created. The monster variant of Little Chrissy was created in 1975. He occasionally appeared in the song "Frazzle" as a lead frazzletone where he has been one of the members of the Frazzletones. The variant of the puppet was made with the early version of Harvey Monster with dark blue fur, yellow hair, rose colored nose, two squared teeth, a moving jaw and the same sunglasses as the Purple Gogolala Jubilee Jugband member from The Muppet Show. Little Chrissy in this variant is one of the AM Monsters.

Name

Little Chrissy has also been called "Chris" and "Chrissy". Instances when he has been called "Little Chrissy" include the following:

• Rock 'N Roll Readers: referred to as Little Chrissy by Telly Monster.
• Gonna Rock You to Sleep: referred to as Little Chrissy by the day care supervisor.
• Sesamestreet.org: videos featuring the singer are linked to either "Little Chrissy" or "Little Chrissie".

Instances when he has been called "Chris" include the following:

• 25 Greatest Hits: Called Chris on the cover of the album.
• Born to Add (original release) and The Best of Sesame Street: on the album credits.
• Count it Higher: Great Music Videos from Sesame Street: in the Count's introduction to the song "Count it Higher", and the MTV-style captions credit him as that name.

Instances when he has been called "Chrissy" include the following:

• Born to Add: credits for the re-release.
• Rock & Roll: mentioned by Gina, referred to by this name in the video description on the back cover, and as credited on the MTV-style captions.
• "Gospel Alphabet": Patti LaBelle called him Chrissy.

Gallery

Little Chrissy singing Rock 'N Roll Readers with the Alphabeats.

Little Chrissy singing You're Alive with the Alphabeats.

Little Chrissy singing Frazzle with Maurice Monster and the anonymous purple monster from the Aristocrats.

Little Chrissy playing the piano in Gospel Alphabet.

Little Chrissy singing Count it Higher with the Alphabeats.

Little Chrissy singing Cluck Around the Clock with the Alphabeats and the Anything Muppets.

Little Chrissy singing Exit with the Alphabeats.

Little Chrissy singing Gonna Rock You to Sleep with the Alphabeats and Big Jeffy.

Little Chrissy singing I Go to School with the Alphabeats.

Little Chrissy singing eight balls of fur.

Little Chrissy singing The Opposite Song with the female long-armed, long-haired, purple colored humanoid anything muppet

Little Chrissy singing Startin' Kindergarten with the Alphabeats and Big Jeffy.

Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats

Songs and Sketches

Video	Name	Year Introduced	Trivia
	Count it Higher	1973
	Eight Balls of Fur	1989	Little Chrissy uses his strong muscles but they muscles are bogus on the puppet.
	The Frazzle Song	1975	Little Chrissy in Frazzle is the only appearence for the monster variant of himself.
	Rock and Roll Readers	1988
	You're Alive	1981

Trivia

• In the song Eight Balls of Fur, he is strong enough to perform a fierce banging on the piano, thus breaking it apart.