Jimmy Neutron, Girl Singer

Damn, the toons at Nickelodeon are great right now: how can you go wrong with SpongeBob, Fairly Odd Parents, and Jimmy Neutron (not to mention the classic Rugrats and neo-Rugrats All Grown Up)? I don’t even mind when Lily sits there and watches them for a few hours – it’s educational or something. The ultimate lesson of all of them is that no matter what strange powers or peculiarities you may possess or have available to you, you are still you and still have to deal with the same shit as everyone else – cool powers only make life more complicated, not less.

Having said that, I want to point out a tangential oddity: at least two voice actresses on Nick toons – Debi Derryberry, who is most famously Jimmy Neutron, and Grey DeLisle, who is evil baby-sitter Vicki on Fairly Odd Parents – are both serious singers as well.

I reviewed DeLisle’s gothic proto-country here, and now I get word that Derryberry is in the country pop harmony trio Honey Pig. They just released a new EP Clueless You earlier this month (sample here), and will be performing at the Rainbow Room (next to the Roxy) in West Hollywood on September 8.

All three are actresses, bios here:

“Man, do they make sweet music,” praises Country Weekly columnist Larry Holden. He’s talking about all-girl country pop harmony group Honey Pig, who’ve been catching the eyes and ears of fans and industry folk alike.

Musically, “Honey Pig present their country-pop tunes in three-part harmonies that carry you right into the heart of Dixie Chick territory,” says Music Connection Club Editor Bernard Baur. “I’d compare us to the Judds, Dixie Chicks, Emmy Lou, Dolly, and Linda Ronstadt as a trio,” says Honey Pig vocalist Laura Milby, who, along with Corrie Shenigo and Debi Derryberry, make up the vocal front for the band.

“My grandfather was a professional singer… I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember,” smiles Derryberry. “At the age of nine, I got my first guitar and wrote my first song. My family would always entertain ourselves on road trips with three part harmonies.” Derryberry’s voice has been heard internationally in Paramount/Nickelodeon’s Academy Award-nominated character Jimmy Neutron. Derryberry supplies voices for a gamut of characters, including the Emmy Award-winning show Life with Louie, Charlotte’s Web II and Disney’s Lady and the Tramp II, as well as the voice of Mattel’s hugely popular lead Diva Star doll “Alexa.” Some of Derryberry’s on-camera credits include Party of Five, Ghostworld, and Comic Book: the Movie.

Laura Milby got her vocal training in the same age-old place as Bach and Elvis – church. “Church choir, church musicals, church, church, church,” she recalls. Milby grew up in Varina, Virginia (outside Richmond) with six brothers to make her tough – and keep her that way. She tinkered with a variety of instruments, including piano, flute and bass. She has a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Virginia Tech. Musical tours have taken her all over the East coast and as far as Seoul, Korea. Milby’s on-camera career has exploded in the past year and she can be seen on The OC, NYPD Blue and several commercials including Comcast, Gateway and State Farm.

Born in Sandusky, Ohio, Corrie Shenigo was raised by an opera singer and rock n’ roll guitarist, which explains her schizophrenic range of music influences. She has appeared on stage, screen and radio for as long as she can remember, most memorably working alongside Al Pacino in the feature film, “Hits.” She also appeared with Ernest Borgnine in “The Blue Light,” and on The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives. She spent a summer touring with Smokey Joe’s Café, and returned to LA in search of a project that she could really “sink her teeth into.” She found that with Laura and Debi and is thrilled to be the newest member of Honey Pig. “It’s been so great… I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Honey Pig formed in the San Fernando Valley and quickly released Exactly We Are, which drew regional acclaim. “So good it’ll make you holler soo-wee!” praises Country Weekly, while Music Connection flat out declares, “go get the CD – it’s right purty!” Fellow trade Music Biz lauded, “Vocally tight and strong, high in the quality of the tunes,” adding “…their music speaks the language of the new millenium.” Honey Pig has just released their second CD, Clueless You.

..Honey Pig’s live shows also gained the band accolades. “Honey Pig is a heart-warming, endearing and very funny group,” says Music Connection, adding, ” Their harmonies are magical and their countrified folk tunes are ingeniously written. This is an act that could make the Grinch smile and have you humming their songs all the way home.”

Two examples of voice-over actresses/singers does not necessarily a trend make, but I wonder if there are more out there – inquiring minds want to know.