Southeast Missouri's Got Talent

DON FRAZIER * dfrazier@semissourian.com Neal Boyd posed in front of Southeast Missouri State University's Academic Hall, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2005. [Click to enlarge]

It may come as a surprise, but several quiet, local communities are also home to famous athletes and entertainers -- and they're still proud to call Southeast Missouri home.

Neal E. Boyd -- Sikeston, Mo.

Winner of "America's Got Talent"

A few years ago, Sikeston, Mo., native Neal E. Boyd worked as an insurance salesman but continued to pursue much bigger dreams -- as an opera singer. In 2008, he won the third season of NBC's "America's Got Talent," along with a $1 million prize and the opportunity to perform a headline show at the MGM in Las Vegas. In June 2009, he released his debut CD, "My American Dream."

Boyd discovered opera in junior high, when his brother brought home a CD of The Three Tenors as part of a school project. One listen to the classic voices of Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, and Boyd was hooked on the style, the voices, and the fact that opera always tells a story. He began studying, performing, and even teaching music locally as he earned a diploma from Sikeston High School, a B.A. in speech communication from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, a B.A. in music from the University of Missouri in Columbia, and a master's in management from the University of Phoenix. He also studied opera at the New England Conservatory in Boston.

Since "America's Got Talent," Boyd has kept busy with travel and performances, but makes it back to Southeast Missouri to visit friends and family and perform and speak at special events.

"For me, home has been and will always be Sikeston, Mo., just about the Bootheel in the middle of America," Boyd wrote in a letter to his hometown shortly after his "Talent" win. "My roots are here; my friends are here; and everyone that has inspired me to carry on is here. The entire world is literally watching and learning what I have always known...Sikeston is a great place to live, work and dream."

Blake DeWitt -- Sikeston, Mo.

Second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers

As a baseball star and All-American at Sikeston High School, Blake DeWitt's name appeared constantly in local sports records. His athletic prowess gained him recognition throughout Southeast Missouri, but today, he's also known nationwide as the second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

DeWitt, a 2004 graduate of Sikeston High School, was drafted to the Dodgers in June of that same year. He only expected to play in the double or triple-A team, but began the season as the Dodgers' starting third baseman after the top three contenders were injured during spring training. In his first major league at bat, DeWitt singled and went five for nine with three walks in the three-game series; he hit his first career home run during a New York Mets game May 5, and another home run the next night. The inside-the-park home run was the first for the Dodgers in five years. DeWitt was optioned to the Dodgers triple-A minor league team in Las Vegas in July 2008 after the team acquired third baseman Casey Blake from the Cleveland Indians, but was recalled to Los Angeles to start at second base after Jeff Kent was sidelined.

DeWitt's hometown continues to follow his baseball career closely. The local radio station is part of the Dodgers Radio Network so that local fans -- sure to be decked out in their DeWitt No. 33 Dodgers gear -- can keep up with the games.

In an interview with the Sikeston Standard Democrat on Feb. 22, 2006, DeWitt said, "Thanks for all the support. There are a lot of people, everybody I see, that are saying 'We're rooting for you and check up on you on the Internet every day.' It makes you feel pretty good to know you have so many people behind you."

Judith Farris -- Cape Girardeau

Opera singer/instructor

Opera singer and contralto Judith Farris was born and raised in Cape Girardeau, graduated from Cape Central High School and Southeast Missouri State University, moved to New York City, and spent the next several years performing in venues that most aspiring musicians only dream of. In 2005, she returned to Cape Girardeau and accepted the position of artist in residence and instructor for the theater and music departments at her alma mater. While she still frequents the New York City music scene, she continues to make Cape Girardeau her home.

Farris debuted as an apprentice at the Santa Fe Opera, then went on to perform with the St. Louis Symphony, National Symphony, America Symphony, Opera Theater of St. Louis, The Washington Opera, the New York Philharmonic, New York's Lincoln Center, and more. She also opened a voice studio in New York City, where she coached professional actors, dancers and singers, many of whom went on to perform on Broadway. Throughout her glamorous city career, Farris returned to Cape Girardeau to keep up with friends and family, perform concerts, and lead opera workshops.

Farris' son, Matthew Piazzi of New York City, is also working his way into show biz through voice-overs, impressions and acting. He appeared on NBC's "America's Got Talent" last fall, along with Sikeston, Mo., native Neal E. Boyd.

Rush Limbaugh -- Cape Girardeau

Radio host

The Limbaugh name has long been renowned in Cape Girardeau, but Rush H. Limbaugh III is known nationwide as a conservative talk-radio host and political commentator.

As the son and grandson of conservative Cape Girardeau lawyers Rush H. Limbaugh, Jr., and Rush H. Limbaugh Sr., Limbaugh's political ideologies developed at an early age. He graduated from Cape Central High School in 1969 and enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University, but flunked out three semesters later. Limbaugh dreamed of being a radio disc jockey, and college courses just didn't hold his interest. He moved to Pennsylvania and worked radio jobs from Pittsburgh to Kansas City to Sacramento and finally to New York City, which remains the flagship station for his nationally syndicated "Rush Limbaugh Show." The show is broadcast on over 600 radio stations nationwide, and is said to be the most listened-to radio show in the U.S.

Limbaugh still has a strong following in conservative Cape Girardeau, evident by the numerous Limbaugh books, biographies, souvenirs and other memorabilia found in the city's shops. The Convention and Visitors Bureau even distributes brochures for Limbaugh fans to take a self-guided tour through Limbaugh's hometown, from the hospital in which he was born to the schools he attended.

Limbaugh's father died in 1990, and his grandfather in 1996 at age 104. Still, the Limbaugh legacy continues today with Rush Limbaugh III and the rest of the Limbaugh family. Limbaugh's uncle Stephen N. Limbaugh Sr. is a federal judge in St. Louis; his cousin Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. serves on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri; his brother David Limbaugh is a Cape Girardeau lawyer, author and syndicated political columnist who also serves as his attorney and personal manager; and (RELATION???) Jim Limbaugh is a Cape Girardeau banker. In 2008, Cape Girardeau's new courthouse was named for Rush H. Limbaugh Sr., and the Limbaugh Law Firm, which he founded in 1916, is still one of the most prominent firms in the city.

Sheryl Crow -- Kennett, Mo.

Singer/songwriter/musician

Sheryl Crow is known for her nine Grammys, her political activism, her triumph over breast cancer, and big hits like "All I Wanna Do," "My Favorite Mistake," "If It Makes You Happy," and "Soak Up the Sun." She even toured with Michael Jackson as a backup singer from 1987-1989 and performed at the Democratic National Convention in 2008. She's a pop music icon now, but she got her start in Kennett, Mo., a rural Bootheel town of just over 11,000 residents.

Born to a musical family, Crow graduated from Kennett High School and earned a B.A. in music composition, performance and education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She sang in a local band throughout college and went on to teach elementary school music in suburban St. Louis. She sang on nights and weekends, eventually meeting a local music producer who gave her a boost into the music business. Since then, Crow has released six platinum and multiplatinum studio albums; her most recent was "Detours" in 2008.

Still, Crow has not forgotten her Southeast Missouri roots. She makes it home to Kennett a few times a year for benefit concerts, special events and family visits. She's funded a new city pool and new tennis courts for the high school, and continues to sponsor scholarships for local students. She also donates clothing to Bank of Antiques, a store in downtown Kennett that gives the proceeds to Delta Children's Home.