Debi Derryberry

Singing Thru the Summer

By Kat Avila
August 1, 2006

I was at Borders to see the cute, friendly Debi Derryberry, who does the voice of Nickelodeon's Jimmy Neutron and other cartoon voices. She's doing free shows in the Southern California area to promote her children's music CD What a Way to Play!. The 12-track CD has original songs written by Derryberry as well as traditional favorites like Itsy Bitsy Spider and Woody Guthrie's This Land is Your Land.

Sequential Tart: While most people recognize you for your work as the voice of Jimmy Neutron, you've also worked on the English dubs of the anime Zatch Bell! (as the "mamodo" or little demon Zatch) and Tenchi [Muyo!] in Tokyo (as Ryo-Ohki, Yugi). Are you familiar much with Japanese animation?

Debi Derryberry: I must confess, I am not that familiar with Japanese animation. I have done voices on many anime shows and thoroughly enjoyed it.

ST: You did a demo tape of jingles using a kid's voice, which was easy since you had worked as a jingle singer in Nashville. But it's not the way most people break into the voiceover business, is it?

DD: I suppose most people make a voice demo and submit to an agent. I happened to know an animation casting director who loved my voice and helped me get an agent right away. In fact, I didn't even consider a career in voiceover. Most of my experience was in theatre and singing!

ST: How did you get involved with Mark Hamill's mockumentary Comic Book: The Movie (2004)?

DD: Mark and I have the same voiceover agent, and I have known him for years. He is such a dear and asked me to be in his movie.

ST: On your resume, you list "whale riding" as one of your special skills. Say what…?

DD: While I was recording Bobby's World, I got a call that they were casting for a small woman the size of a 10-year-old boy to ride the whale for the boy in a new movie called Free Willy. They needed a scuba diver. It was a perfect match since I am a scuba diver. End of the story is that I spent seven weeks riding the whale and serving as the body stunt double for the boy in the movie. What a hoot!

ST: You wrote the music and lyrics for half the songs on your kids' music CD What a Way to Play! What made you decide to do a kids' CD, after six years of leading your own country music band, Honey Pig?

DD: I have always written songs and sang. I wrote my first song when I was nine years old. It was after I had my son that I realized how much fun I had always had singing my kid's songs. It was a no-brainer to make the children's album. I love performing for and singing with the children. They are really a lot of fun. I disbanded my country band, Honey Pig, after working really hard for six years at it. I was tired of staying up late and taking time from my son. Children's music lets us play together and he can attend my shows.

Debi Derryberry — Music website