Neal E. Boyd
Neal E. Boyd | |
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Neal E. Boyd signing an autograph after performing at St. John Lutheran Church-Ellisville, Missouri, U.S. | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Neal Evans Boyd |
Born |
Sikeston, Missouri, U.S. | November 18, 1975
Died |
June 10, 2018 42) Sikeston, Missouri, U.S. | (aged
Genres | Operatic pop |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 2008–2018 |
Labels | Decca (2009–2018) |
Website | www.nealeboyd.com |
Neal Evans Boyd (November 18, 1975 – June 10, 2018)[1] was an American pop opera singer. He was best known as being the winner of the third season of America's Got Talent.
Early life
Boyd grew up in Sikeston, Missouri, his father of African American descent, and a European mother. Boyd and his brother were raised solely by their mother, and, subsequently, endured poverty conditions.[2] He discovered operatic music in junior high school when his older brother was doing a school project involving classical music and brought home a CD of the Three Tenors. Boyd was so enthralled by the passion and skill of the famous trio that he started learning to sing in Luciano Pavarotti's and Plácido Domingo's operatic styles. Boyd graduated from Sikeston High School in May 1994, where he was senior class president.[3][4]
He earned a bachelor's degree in speech communications from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri (May 2001), a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Missouri School of Music in Columbia, Missouri (May 2001)[4] and a master's degree in management from the online University of Phoenix.[5][6] Boyd was president of the Student Senate at Southeast Missouri State University,[7] where he was also a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.[8] While in college, Boyd interned at the capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri.[9]
He was the winner of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Vocal Collegiate Championship in 2000 while in the voice studio of Professor Ann Harrell of University of Missouri. This national win led to his solo debut at New York City's Carnegie Hall in March 2001.
After teaching music for the 2001–2002 school year in his hometown of Sikeston, Missouri, in 2002, he attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston to study opera.[4][10] This led to a role as the slave "York" in Michael Ching's World Premier Opera "Corps of Discovery, A Musical Journey," commissioned by University of Missouri.
America's Got Talent
Boyd was the winner of America's Got Talent in 2008, and was awarded the $1-million prize and a headline show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Performances and results
Week | Theme | Song choice | Original artist/composer | Performance order | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audition | Inspiration | "Nessun Dorma" | Puccini | Final | Advanced |
Vegas Verdicts | Classical Singers | "Unchained Melody" | Todd Duncan | Advanced | |
Top 40 | Group 1 | "Somewhere" | Leonard Bernstein | 10 | Advanced |
Top 20 | Group 1 Heroes |
"Mama" | Il Divo | 7 | Advanced |
Top 10 | Inspirations | "All By Myself" | Eric Carmen | 8 | Advanced |
Top 5 | Finals | "Nessun Dorma" | Puccini | 3 | Winner |
Post-Talent
Boyd was awarded the $1-million prize and a headline show in Las Vegas hosted by Jerry Springer.
On October 2008, his hometown declared the month of October "Neal E. Boyd Month."[11]
Boyd signed to Decca Records and released his debut album, My American Dream, on June 23, 2009, the day of the fourth season premiere of America's Got Talent. It debuted at #195 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top Classical Albums Chart.
On March 10, 2010, Boyd performed for the 44th U.S. President, Barack Obama while visiting Missouri.[12][13] He also performed for Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.
Boyd was the co-owner of Cox & Boyd Insurance Solutions, an insurance agency with locations in St Louis and Sikeston Missouri, and the Vice President of sales for Voluntary Benefit Services which is located in St. Louis, Missouri.
Boyd died at the age of 42 on June 10, 2018, of heart/kidney failure and liver disease.[14][15][16]
Politics
Boyd was a Republican.[17] He ran for a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives in 2012,[18] but lost to Democrat Steve Hodges by 66 to 34%.[19] On September 5, 2013 Boyd announced that he would again seek to be elected to the Missouri House of Representatives from the 149th district in 2014. He was defeated in the August 2014 Republican primary by Don Rone, who won the seat in the November general election.
In 2000, he sang at the memorial service for former Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan who died in a plane crash during his U.S. Senate run against then Senator and later U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.
In 2005, he sang the National Anthem at the inauguration of Missouri Governor Matt Blunt.
On August 28, 2012, Boyd performed Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.
Various Missouri state and local officials nicknamed Boyd "The Voice of Missouri" due to his appearances at many prominent statewide events.[20]
Discography
Albums
Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US Class | US Heat |
Year End Class | |||
2009 | My American Dream [21]
|
195 | 3 | 10 | 29 |
|
Singles
Year | Single | Peak | Album |
---|---|---|---|
US | |||
2009 | "God Bless the USA" | – | My American Dream |
See also
References
- ↑ Neal Evans Boyd | 1975 - 2018 | Obituary
- ↑ "Neal E. Boyd - My American Dream - Amazon.com Music". amazon.com.
- ↑ "seMissourian.com: Entertainment: A Neal Boyd timeline (06/30/08)". seMissourian.com.
- 1 2 3 Essner, Leonna (June 5, 2002). "Boyd makes name for himself in song". Sikeston Standard Democrat. Also re-published by the Southeast Missourian as "Sikeston throws a party for Neal Boyd".
- ↑ "seMissourian.com: Local News: Candidate questionnaire: Neal E. Boyd (10/01/12)". seMissourian.com.
- ↑ "seMissourian.com: Local News: After weight loss, Boyd says 'time is now' to run for House (03/15/12)". seMissourian.com.
- ↑ "seMissourian.com: Local News: Singer Neal E. Boyd to run for Missouri House seat (09/13/11)". seMissourian.com.
- ↑ "Southeast Missouri State University". semo.edu.
- ↑ "seMissourian.com: Column: Lucas Presson ~ Southeast Missourian: The Sunday Interview: Neal E. Boyd is raising his voice". seMissourian.com.
- ↑ Darnell, Kathryn (2008-05-15). "Holding a High Note". Vox Magazine. Archived from the original on 2013-02-05. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ↑ "October declared Neal E. Boyd month in Sikeston". Sikeston Standard Democrat. September 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ↑ "Missourian Neal E. Boyd to perform for President Obama during visit". ksdk.com.
- ↑ "Singer Neal E. Boyd looking forward to meeting president at St. Louis event" (March 9, 2010) Southeast Missourian
- ↑ Hipes, Patrick (June 11, 2018). "Neal E. Boyd Dies: Former "America's Got Talent" Winner Was 42". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Remembering Neal E. Boyd". WPSD Local 6 - Your News, Weather, & Sports Authority. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ↑ Neal E. Boyd, America's Got Talent winner, Sikeston native passes away at 42
- ↑ "Singer Neal E. Boyd to run for Missouri House seat" (September 13, 2011) Southeast Missourian
- ↑ "'America's Got Talent' winner Neal E Boyd to run for Missouri legislature" (Sep. 14, 2011) Digital Spy
- ↑ Ruch, Amber (November 7, 2012). "Hodges wins Mo. House seat in 149th District". KVFS.
- ↑ "Neal Boyd timeline". Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ↑ "Neal E. Boyd". Decca Records. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ↑ "Catch up with singer Neal E. Boyd, winner of America’s Got Talent" (Summer 2010) Mizzou Archived 2010-06-19 at the Wayback Machine.
External links
- Neal E. Boyd's official website
- Neal E. Boyd's political website
- NBC Show Profile
- Appearances on C-SPAN
Preceded by Terry Fator |
America's Got Talent winner Season 3 (Summer 2008) |
Succeeded by Kevin Skinner |