HE SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA
By Dan Miller
December 21, 2007
He may not look exactly the same as when the world first heard from him, but I think I'd still recognize him.
After all, that was 55 years ago.
And every Christmas season since then, people everywhere have heard this guy’s youthful voice on the radio, or played over the speakers in grocery stores and shopping malls.
The photo on top appears to be fairly recent.
He’s now 68 years old.
His name is Jimmy Boyd.
That’s also Jimmy shown in the 2nd photo, the way he looked around the time his recording of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” was first released in 1952.
It was an immediate and enormous hit, selling two-and-a-half million records within weeks, and it has endured as one of the most popular novelty Christmas songs of all time.
By now, it’s estimated that 60,000,000 copies have been sold.
Given that the song came out in the rather reserved and naive 1950s, it was quite controversial.
In fact, it was condemned by the Catholic Church in Boston.
At only 13, Jimmy went to Boston and met with leaders of the Archdiocese to defend the song and explain it’s lyrics.
He obviously did a good job because they lifted the ban the next year.
Jimmy Boyd has done many other things in his long career.
He’s appeared on countless television variety shows…. in the movies…. he's had other hit records…. he even tried his hand at standup comedy.
But his life and career will always be closely tied to that one song about a little boy sneaking down the stairs to have a peek on Christmas eve.
I often wonder if he still sings the song.
I suppose it might sound weird being performed by a man pushing 70.
You can click on DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS MAN? to read what I wrote about another person whose face is hardly familiar, but – like Jimmy Boyd – we hear his voice countless times during every Christmas season.
I hope your holidays are wonderful.
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