Neal E. Boyd found fame as the winner of “America’s Got Talent” — but the dreams of the Missouri insurance salesman went horribly wrong, with the struggling would-be star dying in his mother’s home of heart failure! Get the shocking story of his career went wrong, and click here for news on another “America’s Got Talent” tragedy…
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Neal E. Boyd found fame as a winner of
"America's Got Talent" — but the dreams of the Missouri insurance salesman went horribly wrong, with the struggling would-be star dying in his mother's home of heart failure.
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Photo credit: Mega
Neal was found dead on June 10 in his hometown of Sikeston, where the troubled star had constantly fought to change his life after winning the "America's Got Talent" top prize of $1 million in 2008. The so-called "Voice of Missouri" had used the prize money to expand his insurance brokerage business in the Missouri town of Eureka. From there, however, Neal joined
the ranks of troubled "America's Got Talent" winners whose
quest for fame went wrong.3 of 5
Photo credit: Getty Images
Neal released an album titled "My American Dream" in 2009, but could never capitalize on his career. Some insiders blamed that on "AGT" judge
Piers Morgan, who reportedly ruined plans to pair Neal with fellow tenor Paul Potts, who'd recently won "Britain's Got Talent." Sources said the newsman had boasted at a party that "Boyd will win, and then we'll team him up and make them famous worldwide as The Two Tenors."
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Photo credit: Mega
Show insiders later claimed those plans ended after the story leaked, with producer
Simon Cowell fearing that he'd be accused of rigging Neal's big win. Instead, the tenor attempted two failed runs for the Missouri House of Representatives in 2012 and 2014. But he also credited his political ambitions with a weight loss of 75 pounds, saying that he "got motivated."
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Photo credit: Mega
Tragically, Neal would be seriously injured in a 2017 car crash. That added new complications to a string of medical problems including liver problems, kidney failure and heart failure. He was hoping to record a new album, but warned his fans just weeks before his death that — while his physical therapy was "going well" — the "pain is still there, and intense at times."
Neal E. Boyd found fame as a winner of
"America's Got Talent" — but the dreams of the Missouri insurance salesman went horribly wrong, with the struggling would-be star dying in his mother's home of heart failure.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Neal was found dead on June 10 in his hometown of Sikeston, where the troubled star had constantly fought to change his life after winning the "America's Got Talent" top prize of $1 million in 2008. The so-called "Voice of Missouri" had used the prize money to expand his insurance brokerage business in the Missouri town of Eureka. From there, however, Neal joined
the ranks of troubled "America's Got Talent" winners whose
quest for fame went wrong.Neal released an album titled "My American Dream" in 2009, but could never capitalize on his career. Some insiders blamed that on "AGT" judge
Piers Morgan, who reportedly ruined plans to pair Neal with fellow tenor Paul Potts, who'd recently won "Britain's Got Talent." Sources said the newsman had boasted at a party that "Boyd will win, and then we'll team him up and make them famous worldwide as The Two Tenors."
Photo credit: Getty Images
Show insiders later claimed those plans ended after the story leaked, with producer
Simon Cowell fearing that he'd be accused of rigging Neal's big win. Instead, the tenor attempted two failed runs for the Missouri House of Representatives in 2012 and 2014. But he also credited his political ambitions with a weight loss of 75 pounds, saying that he "got motivated."
Tragically, Neal would be seriously injured in a 2017 car crash. That added new complications to a string of medical problems including liver problems, kidney failure and heart failure. He was hoping to record a new album, but warned his fans just weeks before his death that — while his physical therapy was "going well" — the "pain is still there, and intense at times."
