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Gayla Peevey
Gayla Peevey 1953.jpg
Publicity photo of Gayla Peevey in 1953
Background information
Birth name Gayla Rienette Peevey
Born (1943-03-08) March 8, 1943 (age 81)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Occupation(s) Singer
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1953–1962
Labels Columbia, Joy

Gayla Rienette Peevey (born March 8, 1943) is a former singer and child star from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She is best known for her recording of "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" (Columbia 4-40106, 1953). Peevey recorded the novelty song when she was 10 years old.

Early life

Peevey family moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma, in 1948. Prior to moving to California, she attended Columbus Elementary School.

Career

Peevey's first record, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas", was recorded in 1953, when she was ten years old. It was the best selling Christmas record of that year.

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$32,813 in 2022), and a baby hippopotamus named Matilda (who weighed over 700 pounds) was purchased and given to Peevey, which she then donated to the zoo in 1953. 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 Walt Disney World's Disney's Animal Kingdom, in Orlando, Florida.

Matilda belonged to the hippo species Pygmy hippopotamus. They are now endangered, with fewer than 3,000 in the wild.

In 1960, under the name Jamie Horton, she had a minor hit with her single "My Little Marine" (Joy 45-234, 1959), which reached #84 on Billboard's Hot 100 in early 1960. She also recorded "Robot Man", a cover of a Connie Francis UK hit, but it failed to reach the charts.

Personal life

Peevey graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Education degree. She eventually left teaching. She is married to Cliff Henderson. They have a daughter, Sydney Forest, and three grandchildren. Following her retirement from performing, Peevey runs her own jingle advertisement company and sings in church.

Gayla lives in San Diego.

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" / "I'm So Glad"
(with Jimmy Boyd)
40218 RHCO10753/RHCO10754
"Upsy Down Town" / "A Dog Named Joe" 40264 CO49820/CO49821
1954 "The 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 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
"Robot Man" / "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
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