Soulful Fort Worth songstress Lachuné Boyd’s time on “America’s Got Talent” may be over, but her performing career is just getting started.
After wowing judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara with her rendition of Coldplay’s “Yellow” during the show’s live auditions, Boyd plans to record and release the cover — as well as some original music — soon.
“Working on original material … that’s the next step for me, as I want to continue to build a performance career,” she told the Report. “(It allows) people to see who I am even more as a singer, as an artist.”
Following her performance of Tina Turner’s “The Best,” Cowell commented on the singer’s presence, which he said has been clear from the start.
“From the first time we met you, you radiate kindness, you really do,” he said, “And I would love to see you in the final. I think you really deserve it.”
Boyd did not advance to the finale, but the master’s student and vocal teacher gained tools that she can use throughout her career and described her time on the show as an exciting and amazing journey.
“The experience has given me this idea of how to take constructive criticism but still honor your own choices,” she said.
That lesson is one she will share with her growing cadre of vocal students around the world.
Only comprehensive exams remain until she earns her master’s of music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. For now, she will be traveling back and forth between North Texas, Nashville, Tennessee, and occasionally Los Angeles, but she hopes to graduate this spring.
Boyd has an impressive vocal palette that can fit seamlessly in classical, jazz, worship and pop music, said Joe Crider, dean of the seminary’s School of Church Music and Worship. But even more impressive is her character.
“Her kindness, the authenticity of her faith, her excellent artistry, those … mean a lot,” he said. “But I think the most beautiful thing about it is really it was never about her … If you watched her and if you listened to her, it really is about her wanting to share the gift of music with those that she teaches. … Humility is not just something she just talks about, it’s part of her fabric as a person.”
The school is what brought the South Carolina native to Fort Worth, but she feels a deeper connection here following the outpouring of messages and support she received from residents of the city throughout her time on the show.
“I didn’t grow up in this area, but I’ve been here for a few years, and the amount of support that I’ve had in this whole experience, you know, I feel like this is home,” she said. “And so, I definitely want everyone to know that I’m very thankful, and I’m glad that you were celebrating with me in this whole journey.”
She has a few performances lined up now, and plans for many more to come.
“I’m definitely looking to continue to nurture (my career) and see what kind of life I can create for myself,” she said.
Marcheta Fornoff covers the arts for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.