Beloved '50s Singer, With Iconic One-Hit Wonder, Turns 83

Beloved holiday singer Gayla Peevey is celebrating her 83rd birthday.

The Oklahoma-born performer became a household name in the early 1950s thanks to her charming novelty song “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” which remains one of the most recognizable Christmas tunes of the era.

Peevey recorded the playful holiday track in 1953 when she was just 10 years old. Written by songwriter John Rox, the song tells the story of a child who insists that the only gift she wants for Christmas is a hippopotamus.

The quirky tune quickly became a hit during the holiday season, thanks in part to its humorous lyrics and Peevey’s energetic performance. The song also inspired a promotional campaign in her hometown of Oklahoma City, where local residents raised money to donate a real hippopotamus to the Oklahoma City Zoo.

“The record was released, and it was a big hit,” Peevey said in a 2025 interview. “So it was played everywhere, and it was all over the radio and everything. The director of the zoo had this big idea. A light bulb went off, and he said, ‘Let’s just get Gayla a hippopotamus.”

“So they created a campaign fundraiser called ‘Gayla Peevey Hippo Fund,’ and the kids sent in their nickels and dimes, and by Christmas, they were able to actually purchase Matilda. She was flown in on Christmas Eve morning, and I got to greet her, and then of course, the zoo was able to house my hippo.”

Mathilda became a local attraction and helped cement the song’s place in Christmas pop culture history.

Although Peevey’s recording career was relatively brief, “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” endured long after its initial release. Over the decades, the song has become a perennial holiday favorite, appearing on countless Christmas playlists and seasonal radio rotations.

The track’s enduring popularity has also introduced Peevey to new generations of listeners who discover the cheerful novelty song each December.

More than 70 years after it was first recorded, the playful holiday classic continues to bring smiles to listeners, making Gayla Peevey’s one-hit wonder one of the most charming Christmas songs ever recorded.

Related: 1966 All-Time Classic Was a No. 1 Hit 60 Years Ago Today