Let the people decide: Neal E. Boyd moves on to live semifinals

It was long, it was stressful.

On the Aug. 7 special elimination show of "America's Got Talent," the producers again waited until the end to show Neal E. Boyd, and to let his fans (and his detractors) know his fate.

Would Boyd move on to the live semifinals in Los Angeles? In the end, the answer was yes.

Sikeston, Mo., native Boyd has made it as one of the top 40.

The show's three judges also punched a ticket for Matthew Piazzi, son of Southeast Missouri State University voice instructor.

As in the show's first episode, the producers saved Boyd for the end of the program, using his make-or-break moment when the judges decided whether he'd go on to the next round as the show's finale. Boyd was the last contestant to find out his fate, and the judges had some criticism for him, telling the tenor that his Las Vegas callback performance, an opera version of "Unchained Melody," wasn't as strong as his first. But judge Piers Morgan said, in the end, that Boyd was worth a shot in the semifinals, and he was passed on.

Piazzi appeared briefly earlier in the program, performing his impression of actor Robert Di Nero. He was also passed on to the Las Vegas semifinals, which will begin after the Olympic Games.

When the show starts up again, it will be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And at that point, it will be up to viewers to determine whether or not Boyd will win the $1 million prize and a shot at his own Las Vegas show.

The audience will vote for the winner.

And we'll be watching the whole way.

"Unchained Melody" opera-style

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