Alex Boyé
Alex Boye | |||||||
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![]() Boyé in a speech performance in Oregon, USA | |||||||
Born | London, England | 16 August 1970||||||
Nationality |
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Occupation(s) | Singer, actor, dancer, musician | ||||||
Spouse |
Julie Boyé (m. 2007) | ||||||
YouTube information | |||||||
Channel | |||||||
Years active | 2012–present | ||||||
Genre | Music | ||||||
Subscribers | 783 thousand[1] | ||||||
Total views | 199.96 million[1] | ||||||
Associated acts | |||||||
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Last updated: 14 June 2020 | |||||||
Website | alexboye |
Alex Boyé (born 16 August 1970)[2] is a British-American singer, dancer, and actor. He was named the "2017 Rising Artist of the Year" in a contest sponsored by Pepsi and Hard Rock Cafe.[3]
Early life
[edit]Boyé was born in London, England, on 16 August 1970 to Nigerian parents. While pregnant, Boyé's mother went to London while his father remained in Nigeria. By his own account, Boyé never knew his father. His mother remarried and worked for the London Underground, cleaning tracks at night. One day his mother said she was going to Nigeria for a couple of weeks for a visit and did not come back for eight years.
Boyé was raised in the Tottenham neighborhood that has been described as "tough". He spent much of his youth in foster homes with Caucasian parents.[2]
As a teenager, he listened to and was influenced by African-American artists, including Stevie Wonder, Kool and the Gang, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Nat King Cole, Jackie Wilson and Otis Redding. At the age of 16, Boyé was working in a McDonald's in London when he was introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by a manager. He was baptized soon afterward. Boyé first performed in public while serving as a missionary for the Church in Bristol, England.[2]
Career
[edit]The 1990s
[edit]After completing his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Boyé became a backup dancer, including for George Michael.[4]
In 1995, he formed and became the lead singer of Awesome, a European boy band.[5]
Awesome performed at local dances and other small venues until 1996 when they won a vocal competition on Capital Radio, London's largest radio station. Subsequently, Universal Records of Europe signed Awesome to a five-album recording contract. Awesome released three singles off their first album, Rumors, which made top-10 charts all across Europe.[5]
The band sold 500,000 albums and performed alongside artists that included Bryan Adams, George Michael, Simon and Garfunkel, MC Hammer, and many others. But Boyé disliked the lifestyle of a touring musician. "I had this dream of being a musician, but it was taking me down a road that led somewhere I didn't want to go," he said.[2] Boyé decided to leave the band in 1999 to pursue a solo career. He lost all of the material possessions he had gained as a member of Awesome when the record company took the apartment, the clothes, the phone and the money.[5]
In 1999, Boyé joined two other artists in London to discuss recording a demo tape of church hymns with a pop/R&B spin. One of the artists sat at the piano and hit upon a jazz sound for the hymn "Count Your Many Blessings" which became the signature song for the group. That evening they began to improvise church hymns and eventually created 'Soul Saints'.[6] Within a couple of weeks, the group had started recording the songs and gave performances at Hyde Park, London before going on to tour in Utah. Wayne Scholes was the group's manager and Excel Records acted as a consultant while Soul Saints were in the United States.[7]
The 2000s
[edit]In 2000, Boyé moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, to pursue a career in Mormon music.[8] He released his first religious album The Love Goes On in 2001.[9]
When the lead actor portraying Frederick Douglass in the Rodgers Memorial Theatre's production of Frank Wildhorn's Civil War dropped out three weeks before the play opened, Boyé was recruited as a replacement. With no prior acting experience and no knowledge of the Civil War, he learned his lines and united the cast. Glenn McKay, the theatre's board president, had recruited black performers for the show from the Calvary Baptist choir and other area churches, but was having trouble melding them with his Davis County regulars. McKay said Boyé "saved the production."[2] Boyé followed that success with the role of Abinadab in the Lightstone Films production of David and Goliath.[10] In 2005, Boyé received an award from the LDS Booksellers Association for his album Testimony.[11] Boyé also appeared in a 2008 episode of the BYU produced TV show The Writers' Block.[12]
Boyé was seeking a way to build an LDS audience when he met Craig Jessop, then conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, at an LDS music festival and he encouraged Boyé to audition for the choir. Boyé joined the 360-voice Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 2006 and, when accepted, became one of three black choir members. He also continued to pursue a solo career.[13] He had two solo parts in the choir's album Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.[14]
The 2010s
[edit]In 2010, Boyé performed the single, "Born to Be a Scout", at the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia.[15] Boyé was signed to Deseret Book's Shadow Mountain label.[2] In August 2010, he was a featured soloist in a concert connected at the re-dedication of a Catholic church in St. George, Utah.[16]
Songs by Boyé have appeared in movie soundtracks including Charly (2002), The Dance, Baptists at Our Barbecue and Church Ball.[17][18]
Boyé was featured in a video by The Piano Guys, released in January 2012 as "Peponi", a cover of Coldplay's "Paradise" on YouTube.[19] In early 2013 he did a cover of the Lumineers' "Ho Hey" that also generated a large number of YouTube hits.[20]
In early 2013, Boyé signed with Wenrick-Birtcher Entertainment (Eddie Wenrick & Baron R. Birtcher) as his managers. In March 2013, Boyé opened for a performance by Olivia Newton-John at the Royal Albert Hall.[4] A documentary DVD entitled Front Man telling Boyé's story has also been produced.[21] In 2013, Boye released a song entitled "I Am Gold".[22]
In early 2014, he, along with the One Voice Children's Choir, created an Africanized tribal version of the popular song "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen.[23] The video went viral, propelling Boyé's combined YouTube views to over 100 million. It was selected as YouTube's best pop cover of 2014.[24] He also released his Lemonade video on YouTube with more than 1.7 million views[25]
Boyé had a role in the 2014 film Saints and Soldiers: The Void. He also released a YouTube music video to promote the film.[26] He attained some acclaim for his cover of Taylor Swift's song "Shake It Off",[27] with over 600,000 views, as of 1 January 2015.
In December 2014, Boyé released an original Christmas song and YouTube video entitled "Newborn – Wise Men Still Seek Him".[28]
In January 2015, Boyé released an Africanised version of "Circle of Life", with proceeds from the sale going to the koinsforkenya mission. In 2015, Boyé was awarded the Governor's Mansion Artist Award.[29]
In June 2015, Boyé and his band, Changing Lanes Experience, performed their version of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" on the 10th season of America's Got Talent. After receiving great comments from the judges, they advanced into the next round to perform on Judge Cuts Week. In August 2015, he and the band were eliminated on Judge Cuts Week 4 after performing their version of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk".
In September 2015, Boye was announced to be cast as The Heavenly Guide in the remake of the film Saturday's Warrior. It was released in Utah theaters on 1 April 2016 before expanding it to various other states in the following weeks and months.[30]
In early 2016 Boye and the BYU Men's Chorus released a version of Christopher Tin's "Baba Yetu", the theme music to the video game Civilization IV with lyrics adapted from the Biblical Lord's Prayer in Swahili.[31]
Boyé appeared in a duet with Marie Osmond on her album Music Is Medicine that was released on 15 April 2016. The video for the song "Then There's You" was released on the video streaming site Vevo on 27 March 2016 and features the duo performing in a Las Vegas backdrop at Caesars Palace Hotel and the Paris Hotel. Boyé was cast as Pastor Aiken in Drop Off, which was a family film.[32]
Boyé was selected as the "Grand Prize Winner" of the Hard Rock Rising 2017 Battle of the Bands.[33] That same year, Boyé performed as the guest artist for the 2017 Mormon Tabernacle Choir Pioneer Concert, performing a mix of originals and covers.[34]
In September 2018, Boyé released single "Bend Not Break", produced by Randy Jackson (American Idol).
Personal life
[edit]Boyé met his wife, Julie, in an LDS singles ward[2] and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on 6 January 2007.[35][36] They have eight children.
In 2009, Boyé began raising money to buy a house for a local refugee family with sales of his single, "Crazy for You."[37]
On 22 February 2012, Boyé became a United States citizen in a ceremony at the Rose Wagner Theater in Salt Lake City.[38] He was surprised when he was invited by the judge conducting the ceremony to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner".[39]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- Testimony (2004)
- Spirit (2007)
- Be Still, My Soul: Classic Hymns & Folk Songs (2009)
- Africanized (2014)
- African Gospel Inspirations (2016)
EPs
[edit]- Hope for Israel (2011)
- We All Bleed the Same (2016)
- Africanized Christmas (2016)
Singles
[edit]Year | Song(s) | Artist | Album | Role |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | "Peponi (Paradise)" | The Piano Guys | The Piano Guys | Featured Artist |
2015 | "Revelation" | Alan Hewitt & One Nation | Evolution | Featured Artist |
2016 | "Then There's You" | Marie Osmond | Music Is Medicine | Featured Artist |
Filmography
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | 3.2 Percent (TV Series) | Himself | 1 episode |
2005 | David and Goliath | Abinidab | Movie |
2008 | The Writers' Block (TV Series) | Joshua | 1 episode |
2012 | Front Man: The Alex Boye Story | Himself | Documentary |
Restoring Love | Himself/Singer | TV movie | |
The Song That Changed My Life | Himself | 1 episode | |
2014 | The Hour of Power | Himself/Musical Guest | 1 episode |
Saints and Soldiers: The Void | Private Perry | Movie | |
2016 | Saturday's Warrior | The Heavenly Guide | Movie |
Drop Off | Pastor Aiken | Movie | |
Music and the Spoken Word | Himself | 1 episode | |
2019 | Show Offs | Himself | 1 episode |
2020 | Green Flake | Jacob | Movie |
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b "About Alex Boye". YouTube.
- ^ a b c d e f g Baker, Celia R. (17 July 2009). "Former British pop sensation Alex Boyé finds his voice in Mormon Tabernacle Choir". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- ^ KSL.com. "Alex Boyé to replace Christopher Jackson in Mormon Tabernacle Choir Pioneer Day concert". KSL.com. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- ^ a b Shute, "British Mormons"
- ^ a b c Boyé, Alex (2004). "International Perspectives of a Black Member in a "White" Church". Proceedings of the 2004 FAIR Conference. Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
- ^ "Band: Soul Saints". Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ "'Soul Saints' give youth something to sing about". Universe.byu.edu. 17 February 2000. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ "Alex Boye 2017". www.thetabernaclechoir.org. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Alex Boye - The Love Goes On, retrieved 16 May 2022
- ^ Alex Boye at IMDb
- ^ "Alex Boyé: "The Song of the Heart"". ldsgenesisgroup.org. Genesis Group. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
- ^ Profile, IMDb.com; accessed 15 June 2016.
- ^ "About Alex Boyé". Alex Boyé. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Alex Boye in concert to spread message of hope". Deseret News. 6 May 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
- ^ Scout Camp (film details), imdb.com; accessed 15 June 2016.
- ^ Lloyd, R. Scott (4 August 2010). "Mutual respect at time of celebration". Church News. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
- ^ "Alex Boyé". shadowmountainrecords.com. Shadow Mountain Records. 7 September 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
- ^ "Video: 'Hi, I'm Alex Boye I am a recording artist and I'm a Mormon'". 7 September 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
- ^ Jensen, Emily W. (11 January 2012). "Alex Boyé sings Coldplay and the LDS Church on Twitter". Deseret News.
- ^ Porter, Brooke (29 January 2013), "Mormon recording artist Alex Boyé to take new Lumineers' "Ho Hey" cover out to sea (+ video)", Deseret News
- ^ "Deseret Book link on Front Man". Archived from the original on 14 March 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
- ^ Deseret News, 15 September 2013.
- ^ Moore, Alison (16 February 2014), "Alex Boyé teams up with One Voice Children's Choir and Lexi Walker for Africanized 'Let It Go'", Deseret News
- ^ Petersen, Sarah (31 December 2014), "Alex Boye's 'Let It Go' and Piano Guys make YouTube's "Best Pop Covers of 2014"", Deseret News
- ^ YouTube
- ^ Petersen, Sarah (2 August 2014), "The Clean Cut: Alex Boye releases "Danny Boy" music video for Saints and Soldiers film", Deseret News
- ^ Petersen, Sarah (11 November 2014), "The Clean Cut: Alex Boye releases cover of Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off'", Deseret News, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ^ Petersen, Sarah (16 December 2014), "The Clean Cut: Alex Boye releases original Christmas song", Deseret News, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ^ Boyé awarded Governor's Mansion Artist Award, mormontabernaclechoir.org; accessed 15 June 2016.
- ^ Saturday's Warrior details, DeseretNews.com; accessed 15 June 2016.
- ^ "Baba Yetu", DeseretNews.com; accessed 15 June 2016.
- ^ "Fun, Uplifting Drop Off Film, Tackles Greed, Discrimination, and Teen Envy - Standard Newswire". standardnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Hard Rock Rising 2017 - Announcing Our Winners". Hardrockrising.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- ^ release, Mormon Newsroom press. "Mormon Tabernacle Choir announces change in guest artist for Pioneer Day concert".
{{cite web}}
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has generic name (help) - ^ "Famous Mormons in Music and Entertainment". 22 June 2012. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013.
- ^ McClure, Emily (28 February 2012). "Alex Boye's American dream comes true with U.S. citizenship". Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
- ^ Sheahan, Nicole (11 December 2009). "Alex Boye: Being the Change – Inside Mormon Music". Deseret News. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
- ^ Alex Boye's American dream comes true with U.S. citizenship, Ldsliving.com; accessed 15 June 2016.
- ^ "Singer now a citizen: Alex Boye performs at naturalization". Church News. 2 March 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
References
[edit]- Ackerman, Tori (2 December 2010), "From boy band to Mo-Tab, Boye records Christmas album", The Daily Universe, BYU, archived from the original on 21 October 2013
- Burger, David (24 January 2011), "MoTab's Alex Boye subject of doc at LDS Film Festival", The Salt Lake Tribune
- Somers, Liz (7 March 2010), "Arvada "Soul Food" features Mormon Choir soloist", The Denver Post
- Young, Michael (October 2010), "Alex Boyé", Mormon Artist (12)
- "Alex Boye", Artists, Mormons in Music/More Good Foundation, archived from the original on 26 October 2011
- "Alex Boye: LDS Music World presents the music of LDS artist Alex Boye", ldsmusicworld.com, Jefferson Fairbanks, archived from the original on 29 November 2009
- Boye entry at Discogs
- "Alex Boye' from Mormon Tabernacle Choir Entertains at Hyde Park Stake Institute Graduation", News from England, LDS Church, archived from the original on 17 February 2011
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Alex Boyé at IMDb
- Peponi, an African-stylized cover of Coldplay's Paradise with Alex Boyé, Jon Schmidt, and Steven Sharp Nelson, on YouTube
- Alex Boye performs the national anthem after becoming a U.S. Citizen on YouTube
- Interviews
- "Alex Boyé Wants Jesus to Walk With Him", sistasinzion.com, 14 January 2010, archived from the original on 10 January 2015, retrieved 11 January 2012
- Hanson, Nancy, "Episode 33 – Musician Alex Boye", Everything Creative, Mormon Channel, LDS Church, archived from the original on 10 January 2015, retrieved 11 January 2012
- Starr, Rick, "Episode 9 – Alex Boye", Why I Believe, Mormon Channel, LDS Church, archived from the original on 21 October 2013
- English male singers
- American male singers
- English male musical theatre actors
- American male musical theatre actors
- English male dancers
- American male dancers
- Tabernacle Choir members
- Swahili-language singers
- English Mormon missionaries
- Mormon missionaries in England
- 1970 births
- Singers from London
- Actors from the London Borough of Haringey
- African-American Latter Day Saints
- Converts to Mormonism
- English emigrants to the United States
- English people of Nigerian descent
- American musicians of Nigerian descent
- Naturalized citizens of the United States
- 20th-century Mormon missionaries
- 20th-century English singers
- 21st-century English singers
- Living people
- People from Tottenham
- Male actors from London
- America's Got Talent contestants