Have you ever wondered who sang the charming holiday favorite "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer?" Well, wonder no more. The comedy duo Elmo & Patsy are responsible for this 1984 song that has since earned a permanent place among the canon of Christmas novelty tunes.

Elmo & Patsy are characters portrayed by veterinarian Dr. Elmo Shropshire and his wife Patsy Trigg Shropshire. The couple's musical act was merely a side career but their comedy-bluegrass duet hit the big time with the release of "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" (and an album of the same name) in 1984 and they became annual holiday celebrities. Written by Randy Brooks, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" was recorded by Elmo & Patsy in 1979 and the couple had been shopping the singe ever since. Epic Records finally took the bait and picked up the funny single as a novelty record chalk full of quirky versions of holiday classics.

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer was released on the heels of the video for the title song, which debuted on MTV in 1983 and knocked Christmas classics like "White Christmas" clear off the charts. Not your Grandma's Christmas record (pun intended), Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer contained holiday classics like "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Jingle Bells"alongside humorous tracks like "Senor Santa Claus" and "Percy, the Puny Poinsettia."

One might think that Elmo & Patsy were a one-album wonder, but the bluegrass comedy duo also released several other albums (and some Elmo solo cuts) like Dr. Elmo's Twister Christmas, Up Your Chimney, Love, Death and Taxes and Dr. Elmo's Twisted Tunes. The couple divorced after releasing four albums together, none of which matched the success of Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer and Dr. Elmo continued his veterinary practice. Elmo now hosts his own annual Christmas radio show and created Laughing Stock records.