Gayla Peevey..........I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas

Gayla Peevey (born 1943) is perhaps best known for her song, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" (Columbia, 1953). A child star from Ponca City, Oklahoma, she was ten years old when she recorded the novelty song, which had been written by John Rox in 1950.

The Oklahoma City Zoo capitalized upon the popularity of the song in 1953 through a fundraising campaign to "buy a hippo for Gayla" in order to bring a hippo to the zoo. (They had no hippopotamus at the time.) The song raised $3,000. A baby hippo, named Matilda, was procured and flown in to Oklahoma City and presented by Peevey to the zoo.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Gayla
• Peevey.......I
• Want
• Hippopotamus
• For
• Christmas

[hamhi87]

good video :) i love this song, i know alot of lyrics, but i wanna learn all

[JansLoveShack]

Hi there,

I love this now to ,never heard it until I uploaded it .

Thanks for youre comment .

jan

[lissabear135]

3 people didn't get a hippopotamus for christmas!!!

[mellowsweetlady]

@kiki19955 Now Santa is coming with 4 crocodiles (to eat the ones who don't like hippos!)

[omega311888]

@umbrellatheclock ditto



[Sweetcandy784123]

@mellowsweetlady I counted 4 - shame . -.-

[mellowsweetlady]

@lissabear135

Santa is coming up with 3 crocodiles...

[lilmisscarriage]

as kids her same age we went out and gathered Pennies nickels and dimes a few quarters an occassional Half dollar and a very few Dollar bills ; to help get the Hippo and Judy the elephant for the Lincoln Park zoo .she started a good thing !

[umbrellatheclock]

I got creeped out at that picture of the hippo eating people.

[chrisstevensjunior]

this is gonna be good just need to be girly voice here :)

[chrisstevensjunior]

@JansLoveShack i gotta cover this song xD

[chrisstevensjunior]

how can I sing like her? even in falsetto xD