who sang the original i want a hippopotamus for christmas

The original version of "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" was sung by eight-year-old Gayla Peevey in 1953. Gayla was a child star at the time, and her recording of the song became a holiday hit, reaching number two on the Billboard pop charts and selling over one million copies. The song has since become a Christmas classic and has been covered by many other artists over the years.