Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer
It has always been a struggle according to Neal, but when he sets a goal he works very hard to accomplish it. I had the pleasure of chatting with Neal this evening and was excited to announce his running for 149th State Representative spot which is being vacated by Steve Hodges here on ShowMe Times.
Below is a letter from Boyd called "REALITY Check" and how he has set a goal to release his new EP, "My Christmas Wish" and how he hopes to accomplish his dream.
Letter from Neal E. Boyd
I’m going to be brutally honest about my own life. Every opportunity hasn’t come with the endless possibilities that one might assume, but I am grateful for all the opportunities I have been given. As Plácido Domingo once told me, “Be Proud of it…I’m sure you are starting a brilliant career!”
Some believe the music industry is a perfect world full of fame and money. As a consumer, you find a favorite artist or a favorite song. You listen to the music it for a while and then set it aside. It’s the same way a lot of times with artists in the music industry. It’s true that my music career hasn’t gone perfectly or as I had wished or planned. There have been some tough setbacks. But when you’re a dreamer taking risks, you hope for fame and stardom starting with that hairbrush in your hands; like a microphone, while you’re staring in a mirror as a child.
But fame is fleeting. You just have to know that it is. I, like many artists, have wished to have longevity throughout my career…to remain relevant in changing times. But sometimes people can’t relate to you right away, and therein lay the struggle. You begin to take it personally, you blame yourself or everyone but yourself for your lack of success, but in the end you are left alone to contemplate that you chose this difficult life.
You can’t control the market and their taste in music at any given time. You are at the whim of fashion. The ups and downs in this industry have caused me a lot of pain and agony about my self-worth. Still, I was taught to persevere through trying times. So I have sucked it up and taken the hits…one…by one…by one. This includes my weight and health issues, surgeries, and helping my mother through her cancer. None of which were insurmountable, but all costly endeavors, that tested my Faith, and challenged me personally.
But I’m still standing. I’m still singing. I regrouped and grounded myself back home here in Southeast Missouri; seeking the life of service to the community I’ve always wanted, even before the music struck me. But then it hit me…music is a service in itself and can be used to inspire people in seemingly dire times. In all honesty, and with a humble heart, I need to tell you that I am still fighting for my dreams despite the confetti or the money won. The fight has not ended.
I am not a rock star like Kenny Rogers or Pavarotti, two men who inspired me greatly. I am not a millionaire. I get by just like everyone else. I put my extra large pants on one leg at a time. I have saved enough to make a comfortable life for my mother and family. I’ve invested. After all, I am an entrepreneur. I’ve learned that money can be fleeting especially when you can’t find work because of the economy. It all but shut down many of the theatres I could have performed in, and in doing so, shut down the first phase of my singing career.
But now I’m starting fresh. No major recording label and no major producers. It’s just a team of people who believe in my talent, and know how to bring the music to life. An actual recording label can come with many strings attached. You can lose the ability to choose your own songs, and how you sing them. I have been shot down for a Christmas record by labels in years past…it wasn’t going to happen again.
“My Christmas Wish” was a brainstorm among family and friends, and a vow to my mother that she would live to hear me sing an album like Bing Crosby did in the 1950s and 1960s. It was that simple of an idea…and how that idea has grown! So after I invested what I could, instead of going to a label, I went back to my family, friends and fans for support on Indiegogo, The Voice of Missouri, and Kickstarter. I knew if everyone wanted the album made, then it would be. The rest I’ve left in God’s hands.
Neal E. Boyd
