A classmate, Molly Bee, who also recorded the hit song "I saw Mommie Kissing Santa Claus," died on 7 February 2009.
A country-western band-leader, Texas Jim Lewis, heard Jimmy sing and hired him for his Saturday-night radio show. Jimmy won a radio talent show in Los Angeles and got the contract to record "I Saw Mommy...".
He was born to a struggling farm family in the Depression. His family eventually moved to California.
His father started giving him guitar and harmonica lessons when he was 4. A few years later, Jimmy was performing at barn dances.
His recording of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" was #1 on the Billboard pop music chart for 2 weeks (27 December 1952 - 3 January 1953).
Recorded the Christmas novelty hit "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" in 1952 when he was 13. Three weeks after the Yuletide kiss-and-tell was released, the song was #1 on the Billboard charts. It sold 2 million records in less than 10 weeks. Recorded at the urging of Columbia record executive Mitch Miller, the tune made "something of an overnight national musical figure" of the vocalist, a "freckle-patch" who lived in Van Nuys, CA, Time magazine reported in 1952. Even Boyd himself was surprised by the song's success. "I like it personally," he told Time, "but I didn't think anyone would buy it." From a big musical family - Boyd's grandfather was known in Mississippi as Fiddler Bill.
Son with Anne Forrey, Devon Boyd.