April 18, 2001: Neal Boyd is inspiration to future performers

And speaking of Neal Boyd: He brought down the house earlier this month with his penetrating tenor singing voice. An appreciative audience at Old St. Vincent's Church applauded time after time, coming to its feet as he humbly bowed.

But Boyd, 25, is so much more than a great singer. He's an inspiration. Reared in Sikeston, he has played Carnegie Hall in New York, performed at Gov. Mel Carnahan's memorial service and will graduate from both Southeast Missouri State University and the University of Missouri at Columbia with degrees in speech communication and music, respectively. He has been accepted into graduate programs at the Eastman School of Music and Yale University.

Certainly, his success story will move other young performers to pursue their dreams.