Gayla Peevey
Gayla Peevey | |
|---|---|
 Publicity photo of Gayla Peevey in 1953 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gayla Rienette Peevey |
| Born | March 8, 1943 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1953–1962 |
| Labels | Columbia, Joy Records (New York) |
Gayla Rienette Peevey (born March 8, 1943) is a former singer and child star from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Her family moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma, in 1948.[1] She is best known for her recording, under her maiden name Gayla Peevey, of "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" (Columbia 4-40106, 1953). Peevey recorded the novelty song when she was 10 years old.
In 1960, under the name Jamie Horton, she had a minor hit with the song "Robot Man", a Connie Francis cover.[2]
Biography[]
Peevey graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Education degree.[3] She eventually left teaching and owned an advertising firm for 15 years.[3] She is married to Cliff Henderson. They have a daughter, Sydney Forest, and three grandchildren.
In popular culture[]
The Oklahoma City Zoo capitalized upon the popularity of "I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas" with a fundraising campaign to "buy a hippo for Gayla". The fund raised $3,000 (equivalent to US$29,019 in 2020), and a baby hippopotamus named Matilda was purchased and given to Peevey which she then donated to the zoo in 1953.[4] Matilda spent 45 years in the Oklahoma City Zoo, and then died at age 47 from a heart attack in 1998 while being transferred to the Walt Disney World's Disney's Animal Kingdom, in Orlando, Florida.[5]
Alternative-rock band Ween released a reworking of "Are My Ears On Straight" titled "I'm Dancing in the Show Tonight" on their 1997 album The Mollusk.
In addition to being a singer, Henderson is also a songwriter, penning several of her Joy Records (New York) singles, including My Little Marine, Just Say So, We're Through – We're Finished, When It Comes To Love, Yes, I'll Be Your Girl and Dear Jane.
Singles (as Gayla Peevey) on Columbia Records[]
| Year | Title | Label | Single | Matrix No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas/Are My Ears On Straight | Columbia Records | 40106 | CO49818/CO49819 |
| Wish I Wuz A Whisker (On The Easter Bunny's Chin)/Three Little Bunnies | 40182 | RHCO10747/RHCO10748 | ||
| Kitty In The Basket (duet with Jimmy Boyd)/I'm So Glad (duet with Jimmy Boyd) | 40218 | RHCO10753/RHCO10754 | ||
| Upsy Down Town/A Dog Named Joe | 40264 | CO49820/CO49821 | ||
| 1954 | Angel In The Christmas Play/Got A Cold In The Node For Christmas | 40364 | RHCO33252/RHCO33253 | |
| Daddy's Report Card/The Night I Ran Away | 40425 | RHCO10749/RHCO10750 | ||
| 1955 | 77 Santas/Rubberlegs (The Knock-Kneed Monkey) | 40602 | RZSP33598/RZSP33599 | |
| 1957 | I Want You To Be My Guy/Too Young To Have A Broken Heart | 40932 | JZSP41539/JZSP41540 | |
| 1958 | That's What I Learned In School/Do It Again | 41027 | JZSP42215/JZSP42214 |
Singles (as Jamie Horton) on Joy Records (New York)[]
| Year | Title | Label | Single | Matrix No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | My Little Marine/Missin' | Joy Records (New York) | 234 | K90W-8507/K90W-8508 |
| 1960 | Where's My Love/Heartbreakin' Doll | 237 | KS-193/KS-194 | |
| Just Say So/There Goes My Love | 240 | L90W-2188 | ||
| /We're Through – We're Finished | 241 | JR-7051/JR-7031 | ||
| What Should A Teen Heart Do/Hands Off, He's Mine | 245 | |||
| 1961 | When It Comes To Love/Yes, I'll Be Your Girl | 252 | ||
| Going, Going, Going Gone/They're Playing Our Song (contains elements of 16 Candles) | 258 | JR-7103/JR-7101 | ||
| Dear Jane/Only Forever | 266 | JR-7073/JR-7122 | ||
| 1962 | Go Shout It From A Mountain/Oh Love (Stop Knockin' On My Door) | 269 |
References[]
- ^ Gayla Peevey biography. Iwantahippopotamusforchristmas.net (March 9, 1943). Retrieved on 2017-01-23.
- ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (July 25, 1960). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 3. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Biography of Gayla Peevey," Internet Movie Database (accessed May 11, 2010).
- ^ Novelty Nook, Fifties and Sixties, Mistletunes.com (accessed May 11, 2010).
- ^ " City Zoo Hippo Dies En Route to Florida Park". News OK (March 4, 1998). Retrieved on 2017-01-23.
External links[]
- 1943 births
- Living people
- American child singers
- American novelty song performers
- Musicians from Oklahoma City
- People from Ponca City, Oklahoma
- Musicians from San Diego
- San Diego State University alumni
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American women singers
- Singers from Oklahoma