Neal Boyd

Neal Boyd

Neal Boyd

SIKESTON — Neal Evans Boyd died Sunday, June 10, 2018, at his home in Sikeston. He was 42 years old and was a nationally-known musician and politician as well as a former secondary-school educator.

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

He is survived by his parents; his brother, Michael Rogers-Boyd Jr. and his wife Dawn of Ste. Genevieve; his nephews, Xavier Boyd and Isaac Boyd; and niece, Harlee Boyd, all of Ste. Genevieve.

He was preceded in death by his nephews, Michael “Tripp” Boyd III and Trace Boyd; his grandparents, Bill “Willie” and Girtharee “Sweetie” Boyd; and Howard and Dorothy Rogers.

He was a 1994 graduate of Sikeston Senior High School and in 2001 he earned his bachelor’s degree from both Southeast Missouri State University (political science, speech communications) and the University of Missouri at Columbia (music) at the same time and later earned his master’s degree from the University of Phoenix (management).

Mostly known as a musician and entertainer, he became nationally known after he won NBC’s third season of “America’s Got Talent” in 2008 using his opera talent, clinching the $1-million prize in dramatic fashion with the whole world watching, thus earning a headline show on the Las Vegas strip.

Right after, the City of Sikeston named the month of October “Neal E. Boyd Month” and a month later gave him the key to the city on Nov. 25, 2008. He then went on to make two CD albums, “My American Dream” and “My Christmas Wish,” and performed everywhere across the U.S. that asked for him, even local weddings for friends as well as professional sports teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA).

The nation of Japan also wanted to hear his voice, extending an invitation a year later to perform there and tour the country.

In 2000, he won the Music Teachers National Association’s (MTNA) national championship (vocals), his first major break, while studying music at Mizzou, thus allowing him two performances at Carnegie Hall in New York City (2001, 2002), which is every musician’s dream, and a trip to tour Italy. A short while later, he had been named “the Voice of Missouri,” an honor he loved so much.

While at Sikeston High, he was a Missouri State High Schools Activities Association (MSHSAA) all-state selection in 1993, earning several No. 1 and No. 2 honors during his high school singing career.

In politics, he was student-body president his senior year at Sikeston High, and both student government president and vice-president at Southeast Missouri State, while a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

He would later intern at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City. He twice ran for state government after AGT, but lost both races.

Sometimes, his music and political dreams would cross paths as he sang for four U.S. Presidents — George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama — during each of their terms as commander-in-chief, plus the inauguration of former Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, and the funerals of Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan and U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson.

A huge believer in the importance of an education, he was a former music teacher at Sikeston R-6 Schools. Recently, a scholarship was set up last year in his name, the Neal E. Boyd Endowed Scholarship in Performing Arts, to future students at Southeast Missouri State. For more information, please contact the Southeast Missouri University Foundation at (573) 651-2203 or foundation@semo.edu.

For a short stint while studying acting in Boston, he returned to Mizzou to play the role of York in the premier of the musical “Corps of Discovery.” York was a slave of William Clark during the exploration of the American West, better known as the Louisiana Purchase. The play was commissioned by the university of celebrate the Lewis and Clark expedition’s bicentennial.

Even with all of his accomplishments, Neal loved the City of Sikeston and was very proud to live here even when all the outsiders said he needed to move to Los Angeles, New York City, Las Vegas or Washington, D.C. He was Sikeston proud, Sikeston born, Sikeston raised and Sikeston made.

A small, private service for family members will be held Friday. A larger, public service will be held at a later date to be determined. His family would like to say thank you for all the wishes and condolences. It is greatly appreciated.