Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer — The Real Dr. Elmo

Love it or hate it ... It's ubiquitous at Christmas time. Of course, I am talking about "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."  (Or as we often hear on the request line "Grammaw Got Runned Over by a Reindeer.")  At any rate.. There is a real Doctor Elmo and a story behind it all.

• Elmo Shropshire, D.V.M., aka Dr. Elmo, is best known for his Christmas classic “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” He originally recorded the song in 1979 with his then-wife Patsy. He re-recorded it solo in 1992 for the album “Dr. Elmo's Twisted Christmas” and again in 2000 for the album “Up Your Chimney.” He also recorded two albums of year-round songs: “Dr. Elmo's Twisted Tunes” (1993) and “Love, Death and Taxes” (2000).
• Dr. Elmo, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, has a degree in veterinary medicine from Auburn University. After moving to San Francisco, he opened an animal hospital and became a competitive runner, all while continuing to play banjo with his bluegrass band.  “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” was written by Dr. Elmo’s friend, Randy Brooks. The song has sold more than 11 million copies since 1979.
• Dr. Elmo is the No. 2 selling artist in SonyBMG's Christmas catalog, behind Elvis.
• Dr. Elmo has released a new bluegrass Christmas CD on Time Life. “Dr. Elmo Bluegrass Christmas” holds a clever reworking of his signature song as well as bluegrass versions of “Jingle Bells,” “Greensleeves” and “Deck the Halls.”
• You can get the song at Dr. Elmo's website:
• Official website: www.drelmo.com