Boyd was first to sing ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’

Published 10:27 pm Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Jimmy Boyd, a singer best known for first recording the Christmas novelty hit “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” in 1952 when he was 13, died Saturday of cancer in a Santa Monica, Calif., convalescent hospital. He was 70.

The Catholic Church condemned the song for implying even a tenuous link between sex and the religious holiday, and record stations in several markets banned it. The ban was lifted only after the 13-year-old Boyd appeared before church leaders to talk about the lyrics.

His recording career would last until 1967 and encompass hits including “Dennis the Menace,” sung with Rosemary Clooney, and several duets with Frankie Laine, including “The Little Boy and the Old Man,” “Poor Little Piggy Bank” and “Tell Me a Story.”

On television, Boyd made several appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in the early 1950s and moved into acting. From 1958 to 1961, he portrayed Howard Meechim, the high school boyfriend on “Bachelor Father.” He also played on “Date With the Angels,” a late 1950s sitcom.

Los Angeles Times