© 2024 KOSU
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Oklahoman Holiday Hit Singer Gayla Peevey Talks About Fame and Hippos

http://www.iwantahippopotamusforchristmas.net/images/igallery/resized/1-100/record-4-500-500-80.jpg
Gayla Peevey

Flip through the radio stations in your car or visit the mall this month and you’ll probably hear “I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas” a time or two.  The song was recorded in 1953 by then 10-year-old Oklahoman Gayla Peevey.  The song’s popularity helped raise enough money to adopt Matilda, the Oklahoma City Zoo’s first hippo.  KOSU's Nikole Robinson Carroll had a chat with Peevey for the 60th anniversary of the song’s release.

To find out more about Gayla and hear some of her music, visit her website, www.iwantahippopotamusforchristmas.net.

Nikole Robinson Carroll joined KOSU’s staff in November 2013. She began her professional broadcasting career at WEKU in Richmond, Kentucky, but her passion for radio can be traced back to her childhood bedroom, where she would perform “radio shows” on a tape recorder. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Eastern Kentucky University and has worked for a variety of social service and nonprofit agencies.
KOSU is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.
Related Content