The producers of NBC's "America's Got Talent" thought enough of Sikeston's Neal E. Boyd to give him a long introductory segment telling his story of growing up poor in Southeast Missouri before making his performance the climax of this season's first show.

Boyd performed at the end of a program that featured everything from singing Romanian twins to dueling hip hop violinists to male Britney Spears impersonators. After the tenor sang, judge David Hasselhoff said "right now you are the frontrunner" of the competition.

Host Jerry Springer said Boyd was the best talent he'd seen on the show. Judge Piers Morgan called Boyd "a very, very special talent."

The audience gave Boyd a standing ovation.

Next he'll move on to Las Vegas to continue the competition and a chance at $1 million and his own Vegas show.