Neal E. Boyd

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Neal Evans Boyd died Sunday, June 10, 2018, at his home in Sikeston. He was 42 years old and was a nationally-known entertainer and public speaker.

Neal E. Boyd

He was born Nov. 18, 1975, in Sikeston to Michael Boyd Sr. of Sun Valley, California, and Esther Rogers Boyd of Sikeston.

He is survived by his brother, Michael Rogers Boyd Jr.; his sister-in-law, Dawn (Dallas) Boyd; his nephews, Xavier Boyd and Isaac Boyd, and niece, Harlee Boyd, all of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri; and his parents.

He was preceded in death by his nephews, Michael "Tripp" Boyd III and Trace Boyd of Ste. Genevieve; his grandparents, Bill "Willie" and Girtharee "Sweetie" Boyd of Meridian, Mississippi, and Howard and Dorothy Rogers of Meridian.

Neal discovered opera in junior high and became captivated by the passion and skill of the Three Tenors. He taught himself to sing in the operatic styles of Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. Blessed with a strong and expressive tenor voice, his talent pushed him onto the stage in school choirs and stage productions. He was a Missouri State High Schools Activities Association all-state selection in 1993 and earned multiple honors.

Beyond his voice, Neal's personality and lively sense of humor made him a standout at Sikeston High School. He was elected senior class president and graduated in 1994.

Neal earned degrees from Southeast Missouri State University (political science, speech communications) and the University of Missouri at Columbia (music), and later studied at the New England Conservatory of Music.

At Southeast, Neal was active in Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, student government, Interfraternity Council, Student Activities Council, Residence Hall Association, Presidential Ambassadors and College Republicans. He was selected for the Missouri Legislative Internship Program and moved to Jefferson City, where he worked in the Capitol for state Rep. Paula Carter. He was elected speaker of the house in the student legislative session.

He was a frequent soloist for Southeast's University Choir and performed many lead roles with the Opera All-Stars. Those included scenes as Alfredo in Verdi's "La Traviata," Nemorino in Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'amore" and The Duke in Verdi's "Rigoletto." His full-scale collegiate performances included roles as Ferrando in Mozart's "Cosi fan tutti," Eisenstein in "Die Fledermaus" and The Negro in "The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd." At Mizzou, he performed numerous roles with the Show-Me Opera, including Fenton in Verdi's "Falstaff" and Lennie in Floyd's "Of Mice and Men."

At the University of Missouri, Neal studied under professor Ann Harrell and won the Music Teachers National Association's national championship. He later returned to Mizzou to play the role of York in the premier of the musical "Corps of Discovery."

In the years that followed his education, he performed twice at Carnegie Hall in New York and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He enjoyed teaching music (Sikeston School District), singing, speaking and working as a salesman and personality for the national insurance company Aflac.

Neal became nationally known after becoming a fan favorite on NBC's ratings blockbuster "America's Got Talent." From the beginning, he was a standout in the pool of more than 200,000 who tried out for the show. He began appearing in national commercials weeks before the season started and was featured in an emotional 10-minute segment that closed that premiere. Neal not only won over the producers and judges, but also became the clear front-runner with his ability to connect with audiences of all ages. Missourians and fans nationwide cheered him on as he advanced on the competitive show, and on Oct. 1, 2008, Neal clinched the $1 million prize.

He headlined shows in Las Vegas, at both the MGM Grand and the Las Vegas Hilton. He toured across the country and internationally. He signed record deals and recorded and released two albums: "My American Dream" and "My Christmas Wish." He performed across the world in concert halls, for professional sports teams in the NBA, NFL and MLB, and on U.S. military bases.

Neal was especially proud of several honors: He loved Sikeston and his home state and treasured being called "The Voice of Missouri"; the City of Sikeston named the month of October "Neal E. Boyd Month" and gave him the key to the city; he was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award at Southeast; and he was inducted into the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity Hall of Fame.

In addition to music, Neal was motivated throughout his life by public service. He was proud to be among the young people who worked for U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson and considered U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson a close friend. He sang at Bill's funeral in 1996. In 2003, he was part of the delegation and ceremonial opening of the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, and one of the first Missourians to cross it in the parade that followed. Under the Blunt administration, Neal was appointed to two state commissions: the Missouri Workforce Development Board and the Missouri Training and Employment Council.

He sang for four U.S. presidents -- George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama -- and for seven governors. He sang at the funeral of Mel Carnahan.

A public celebration of life will take place at 3 p.m. Nov. 18 at Academic Hall Auditorium on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

In 2015, Neal established a scholarship to celebrate his education and experience, and to support future students. Friends may remember him through gifts to the Neal E. Boyd Endowed Scholarship at the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, One University Plaza, MS 7300, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. For more information, contact the Foundation at 651-2203 or foundation@semo.edu.

Announcement courtesy of Ford and Sons Funeral Home.