Died On This Date (March 7, 2009) Jimmy Boyd / Sang “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”
themusicsover Jimmy Boyd
January 9, 1939 – March 7, 2009
Jimmy Boyd was a popular ’50s and ’60s television actor as well as a singer and musician who is best remembered for his 1952 recording of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” Recorded just before he hit his teens, the song as gone on to sell an astonishing 60,000,000 copies ever since. Thanks to its popularity, Boyd became a popular fixture on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Frank Sinatra Show, The Tonight Show, and American Bandstand, to name a few. Although Boyd had opportunities to make rock ‘n roll records, including with legendary producer Sam Phillips, he was working with Mitch Miller who hated the new style of music. Boyd was very loyal to Miller who had signed him to Columbia Records, but as a pop singer. During the mid ’60s, Boyd finally started making more rock-leaning records when he worked with the likes of Bobby Darin,Terry Melcher and Leon Russell. One such record was for a song written by Barry Gibb of Bee Gees fame – it helped Boyd land a recording contract with A&M. Jimmy Boyd was 70 when he died of cancer on March 7, 2009.
What You Should Own
Patsy Cline was arguably the greatest female singer that country music has ever known. If not the greatest, she was clearly one of the most influential, even though her career was cut tragically short after just eight years. With a booming voice, it didn’t take long for Cline to get noticed thanks to numerous radio talent shows on which she performed as a teen. By the mid ’50s, Cline was making her first records, and in 1957, she released “Walkin’ After Midnight,” which became her first hit and propelled her into the national limelight. Over the next several years Cline released such future country standards as “I Fall To Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams,” and of course, the Willie Nelson penned, “Crazy.” She truly was one of the all-time queens of country music, but sadly that all came to a quick end on March 5, 1963. While flying from a show in Kansas City, Kansas, the small plane that carried Cline, manager, Randy Hughes, and band members, 
Hawkshaw Hawkins, was a honky-tonk singer who achieved some fame and success following his time serving in WWII. Throughout his career, he released several albums which included eight Top 15 country single, the most successful being “Lonesome 7-7203,” which reached #1. On March 5, 1963, Hawkshaw Hawkins, died in the plane crash that also took 
Cowboy Copas was a country singer, guitarist and songwriter whose career took off when he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1943. During his career, Copas released fifteen charting hit singles, including “Filipino Baby,” “Tennessee Waltz,” “Signed Sealed and Delivered,” and the #1 “Alabam.” On March 5, 1963, Cowboy Copas was killed in the same plane crash that took 
Irby Mandrell was the patriarch of the Mandrell family, making him the father of popular country singers, Barbara Mandrell, Irlene Mandrell, and Louise Mandrell. With a background in music himself, Irby and his wife taught all of their daughters from an early age to appreciate music. Oldest child, Barbara learned to play multiple instruments as a young child thanks to the tutelage of Irby, who owned a musical instrument shop at the time. By the time she was 11 Barbara landed her first gig. And from those early days on, Irby managed her successful career as one of country music’s first ladies. Their business partnership lasted the better part of three decades. On March 5, 2009, Irby Mandrell died following a stroke. He was 84.