From Garfield to Betty Boop, Bay Area woman makes her mark in Hollywood and beyond
Being quiet was never easy for Désirée Goyette. But, the Mill Valley resident never expected that the animal sounds and impressions of people she grew up doing would help her make a name for herself in Hollywood.
Since stumbling into voice acting, Goyette has voiced Betty Boop; Nermal in “Garfield” and Petunia Pig, as well as more than 100 toys and video games, including Barbie items, talking Snoopy and LeapFrog and Fisher-Price products — to the amazement of her twins.
The San Francisco Conservatory of Music alumna’s career has always revolved around children, from writing songs for “Charlie Brown” and “Garfield” specials to working with young performers in Hollywood such as Henry Thomas, of “E.T.” fame, and Drew Barrymore to teaching students in Marin.
The pianist and singer-songwriter is married to composer Ed Bogas, a frequent collaborator in her music. She was nominated for a Grammy for her work on the “Charlie Brown” 1984 album “Flashbeagle.”
She will perform as part of the “Words & Music: The Masters of Broadway” show on Aug. 17 at the Lark Theater.
Q When did your interest in music begin?
A My parents over the years adopted five children and I studied the piano. I became the musical director of our family, and we did all kinds of concerts together. We were called “the von Trapp family of San Jose.” We went around to children’s hospitals, homes for the elderly, and churches and organizations. It’s been a natural thing for me to be performing since I was a tiny tot. One thing that really helped us get out of the tough times was music. It was a tool to bring levity to situations, to make some sense of the world. I could find inner peace through that. My mom ran a day care, so here I am 11 or 12 and there’s a whole slew of children at our home after school and the parents began saying, “Would you consider teaching them to sing and the piano?”
Q Why did you get into children’s entertainment?
A I have a major connection to things that are childlike, and things that serve children and really even my love for Songbook music, I now have this mission of trying to preserve it as an art form. It is an extension of my childhood to continue to sing this fabulous music, to continue to find new ways to do it, to present it.
Q You put out inspirational music. What inspired that?
A I grew up in a pretty religious household where prayer was an important part of how we dealt with everyday life. There was a time when my mother had a lot of instability, and I remember finding her on the floor in despair. I remember getting on the floor next to her and cradling her head in my lap and I sang a hymn for her, and she calmed down and thanked me. I got this message that it was a direction where music could have an impact. As I got older and was working in Hollywood, I lost my brother and mother to cancer, and as I was losing my mom, I had been writing original songs for when I got hired to sing in church. I felt it needed fresher, newer contemporary music that people would connect with. When my mother was ill, I wanted to gift her with a recording … and that led to people for asking for them, and then a website if people wanted to use them in churches.
Q What stands out from your time of voice work?
A Doing the “Garfield” stuff, I would be sitting in the booth, directing them as they were singing songs, and on occasion, Jim Davis, the creator, he’d be like we need girl No. 4, and I’d get in there and do my one or two liners. And then he wanted me to be Nermal, a zany and fun character. … Then I was slated to be the music director in 1984 for Betty Boop, for her appearance back on the screen for CBS. I was going to play the piano for the auditions. There were people lined up around the block to try out and a lot of them didn’t know what she sounded like, they hadn’t done their homework and they’d whisper in my ear, “How does she sound?” and I’d give them an impression. Eventually they heard me and said, “Des, when you gonna audition?” I got it and it took me on the road promoting the show for a year. I did late-night shows as that character, and was in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. It was amazing.