Gayla Peevey was born on March 8, 1943 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. She has been married to Clifford Henderson since August 25, 1963. They have one child.
Sang "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" (Columbia, 1953) and raised $3000 in the "buy a hippo for Gayla" campaign, which resulted in the local zoo receiving a baby hippopotamus named Matilda. Gayla presented this hippo to the zoo.
Graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in teaching.
Left teaching and went into advertising where she owned her own firm for 15 years.