Neal E. Boyd is the winner of 'America's Got Talent'

SIKESTON, Mo. — The atmosphere was tense in Randy and Charlotte York's Sikeston home in the few minutes leading up to the announcement of the winner of "America's Got Talent" Wednesday night.

But in an instant, the tension was broken, replaced by pure jubilation when the 50 or so friends and family of Neal E. Boyd heard their hometown boy had won the hugely popular national talent show, and the $1 million prize that went with it.

Boyd's older brother, Michael, jumped for joy, hugging his mother and children.

Just a few minutes before Neal was declared winner, Michael had fingers crossed on both hands while Esther Boyd, he and Neal's mother, watched with a hand covering her mouth.

The months of tension as they waited for their tenor to find out his fate were broken. Esther's youngest boy — a chubby kid whose weight had once made him an outcast, Neal once said on the show — had won the hearts of millions, and a million green notes. He beat out soul singer Queen Emily; Elton John-style singer/pianist Eli Mattson; Nuttin But Stringz, a duo of violin playing brothers who cross rock, hip hop and classical styles; and Texas singer Donald Braswell, who specializes in musical theater.

When Neal was announced the winner, cheers erupted from those at the York home — family members and friends from the Boyds' church, St. Paul Episcopal, immediately jumped on their feet, clapping and hugging one another. "He did it!" people screamed.

Esther Boyd appeared to be in shock, and son Michael helped her to her feet.

Neal Boyd was in tears. But, he managed to pull it together for another performance, again singing "Nessun Dorma" — the Puccini aria he sang on the first episode of this season and again in the finals — while tears streamed down his face.

The tension that broke when the results were announced had been building from the very beginning of the show. Acts were eliminated one by one, with one the Sikeston crowd thought would give Neal hard competition, soul singer Queen Emily, going down first as the fifth-place vote getter.

The conventional wisdom at the York home was that Nuttin But Stringz constituted the biggest threat to Boyd's chances. But when they were eliminated as the third place act, the crowd had a good feeling their man would be the winner.

The soft-spoken Esther was overjoyed. She had stayed in Sikeston on Neal's advice.

Although she has been to Los Angeles for two of Neal's other performances, Esther was in Sikeston Wednesday night at her son's request. "He wanted me to stay here," she said. "Because he wouldn't be able to protect me [from the frenzy if he won]."

The moment after he won, Neal's signature teary eyes were on display, especially after he got a congratulatory message from one of his idols, famed opera singer Placido Domingo.

Neal Boyd thanked his hometown of Sikeston and Missouri. The 32-year-old Boyd had spent most of his life in Southeast Missouri, graduating from high school in Sikeston and attending Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau for four years. The university president, Dr. Ken Dobbins, was in the audience, having squeezed a trip to L.A. into his schedule at Neal's request, despite an early meeting today with officials from Texas Tech University touring the River Campus.

Prior to the show, Dobbins said he was extremely proud of his former student regardless of the outcome.

Even to Neal, the outcome was a surprise.

"It would change my life," he said when host Jerry Springer asked him just before the results what winning would mean to him. "I didn't think that I would make it this far. I didn't think people would respond to opera, but they did."

He thanked America for their votes and support.

Mattson, who Boyd has formed a good friendship with, according to famiy members, also spoke highly of the tenor.

"No matter what, Neal is going to be around forever," said Mattson.

In the end, it was the closest vote in the show's three years, host Jerry Springer said, with Boyd defeating runner up Mattson by just one-half of one percent of the total vote.

Esther said the emotional, humble person people have watched on TV is genuine. "That's just Neal."

She thanked the community for all the support over the past four months since the show premiered in June, and especially for their votes in helping Neal be crowned the winner of the show.

"I found out that there are so many people that care about Neal and I want to thank everyone for their support," she said.

Boyd's friends are planning a community party, including a parade and possibly performance whenever he makes it back into town, said Lynn Feeler, a friend and fellow church member.

But no one is sure when that will be. "He said that if he won, he wouldn't be home for awhile," said Esther Boyd.

Neal will now prepare for an Oct. 17 show on the Las Vegas strip.

After the show ended, Esther kept her cell phone in her hand, waiting for a phone call from Neal.

As of about 9:45 p.m., he hadn't called yet. But Neal describes himself as a grounded person. He thanked his mother in almost every episode he appeared on, and even performed the song "Mama" by Il Divo on one episode for Esther. No doubt Neal's family heard from him, and that conversation was one they'd never forget.