A 33 year-old Aflac insurance salesman, he grew up in Sikeston, Missouri, where October 2008 was declared "Neal E. Boyd Month."
He discovered operatic music in junior high school when his older brother Michael was forced to do a school project involving classical music and brought home a CD of the Three Tenors. His brother had little appreciation for the music, but Neal was so enamored by the passion and skill of the famous trio that he started practicing how to sing in Luciano Pavarotti's and Placido Domingo's operatic styles. A creative seed was planted, and Neal went on to study speech communications, political science, and music at Southeast Missouri State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia, graduating from both universities in May 2001. 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 UM-Columbia. This national win led to his solo debut at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall in March 2001. After teaching music for a year in his hometown of Sikeston, MO, he later attended the New England Conservatory in Boston, MA to study opera—which led to a lead role, the slave "York" in Michael Ching's World Premier Opera "Corps of Discovery, A Musical Journey," commissioned by UM-Columbia. Neal has hopes of finally realizing his dream of becoming an international opera star and inspiring the younger generations the way he was inspired.
Boyd was his high school's student body president in 1993–94 and the president of the Student Senate at Southeast Missouri State University, where he was also a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. He has a bachelor's degree in speech communications from Southeast Missouri State University, a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a master’s degree in management from the University of Phoenix. In 2001, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall. He had planned to attend Yale University, but his plans changed when he decided to study with Professor Mark St. Laurent of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.
In 2000, he sang at the memorial service for former Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan. In 2005, he sang the National Anthem at the inauguration of Missouri Governor Matt Blunt. While in college, Boyd interned at the capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri. Various Missouri state and local officials nicknamed Boyd "The Voice of Missouri" due to his appearances at many prominent statewide events.
Neal is signed to Decca Records (a Universal Music Company). His debut CD is scheduled for release on June 23, 2009.
Nessun Dorma
Neal E. Boyd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nella tua fredda stanza
Guardi le stelle
Che tremano d'amore
E di speranza
Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me
Il nome mio nessun saprà
Quando la luce splenderà
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio
Che ti fa mia
Il nome suo nessun saprà
E noi dovrem, ahime, morir
Dilegua, o notte
Tramontate, stelle, tramontate, stelle
All'alba vincerò, vincerò, vincerò
Neal E. Boyd's rendition of Nessun Dorma is a masterpiece that showcases the emotion and depth of the aria. The line, "Tu pure, o, Principessa, Nella tua fredda stanza, Guardi le stelle che tremeno d’amore e di speranza," is about a prince who falls in love with a princess, but he is unable to reveal his true identity to her. The prince tells her that her beauty shines like the stars, and the princess, who is in her cold room, looks at the stars with hope and love. The prince's mistery is never revealed to anyone else, as he states, "Il mio mistero è chiuso in me," which means that his secret is locked inside him.
The most emotional part of the lyrics comes in the line, "No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò, Quando la luce splenderà, Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio, Che ti fa mia." Here, the prince promises to reveal his secret to the princess alone when the light shines, and his kiss shall break the silence that binds them. The song ends on a melancholic note, where both of them have to bid farewell to each other, and the stars are asked to set. The line, "Dilegua, o notte, Tramontate, stelle, tramontate, stelle, All'alba vincerò, vincerò, vincerò," means that the night must go, and the stars must surrender. The prince will win at daybreak, but sadly, the prince and the princess will die without ever fully realizing their love for each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Tu pure, o, Principessa
Oh, my princess, alone in your chill chamber
Nella tua fredda stanza
You sit and watch the stars intently
Guardi le stelle
As they quiver with love and hope
Che tremano d'amore
My hidden mystery will remain a mystery
E di speranza
My name shall be never revealed
Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me
But perhaps, upon your lips I'll whisper it
Il nome mio nessun saprà
Only when light shall dawn again
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò
And my kiss shall dissolve the silence that makes you mine
Quando la luce splenderà
No one will know his name
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio
And like us, unfortunately, he too will have to die
Che ti fa mia
Disappear, oh night
Il nome suo nessun saprà
Set, stars, set
E noi dovrem, ahime, morir
At dawn, I'll win, I'll win, I'll win!
Dilegua, o notte
Tramontate, stelle, tramontate, stelle
All'alba vincerò, vincerò, vincerò
Contributed by Nicholas E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DragonmanX90
Neal was the whole reason I rediscovered a love of opera. Thank you sir; Heaven gained quite a talented member for their choir. Bravo sir, bravo!
Claudia Garoutte
I continue to listen to this because of Neal's beautiful voice. He still makes me cry every time I hear him.
BLaCkKaiSer
And he just passed away at 42 . time flies and so does good souls. May his soul rest in peace.
Alex Hill
got to be kidding,well that size encapsulates a big heart
Sharon R.
Rest In Peace you incredible man. I’ll never forget you. Thank you for sharing your hauntingly beautiful voice with us. ❤️
Sandi Wood
I cry everytime I watch this one - he is just so full of love and emotion and my GOD what a voice. I adore him.
tiara mackey
this guy brings tears to your eyes. he is amazing, it's like you can feel his emotions when he sings. he is so going to win this.
MsStargazer3
I will never ever forget the year he won ! My Sister-in-Law n I used the house phone, our cell phone's n my Brother's cell phone's to vote for him ! I lost my Sister-in-Law in 2010' n I miss her n the great times we had together ! I will play this for her often !
Nat
@WOOF8665 bro really
WOOF8665
what happened did she die or move?