I’m sure you’ve heard the Christmas hit “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” plenty of times, but did you know it had ties to Bell Buckle? Molly Bee, born Mollie Gene Beachboard, was a country singer who shot to fame at the age of 13 for her 1952 recording of the song. She signed with Capitol Records that same year. She was classmates and close friends with Jimmy Boyd who first recorded it. They both attended Hollywood’s Professional Children’s School.
Molly Bee was discovered by Rex Allen at the age of 10. She sang Hank Williams classic “Lovesick Blues” on Rex Allen’s radio show and went on to appear on the Tennessee Ernie Ford TV show and was Pinky Lee’s sidekick on The Pinky Lee Show. She was also in several films including Corral Cuties and The Young Swingers.
But how is she connected to Bell Buckle? Though Mollie Gene Beachboard was born in Oklahoma, she spent her early years in Bell Buckle on the Beachboard family farm. She learned to yodel here from her brother. Her father, Cooper Manly Beachboard, was born in Bell Buckle. The Beachboards were some of Bell Buckle’s earliest residents.
So there you have it! Next time you hear the Christmas classic, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”, maybe Mollie Gene Beachboard and Bell Buckle will come to mind!
Leave a Reply