By David Dowling
While the Stadium of Fire rocked to Toby Keith, a more intimate gathering at the Arts Fest 2002 in Provo had the opportunity to hear an up and coming LDS artist who put some funk into the Fourth.
Hailing from London, England, Alex Boye, 31, combines his love of R&B music with his devotion to the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to create a new inspirational sound on the Utah music scene.
Boye started his music career singing R&B in England. Soon he had a record contract with a major London producer.
However, he quickly became disillusioned with the lifestyle demanded by the British music industry and felt the need for a change of direction.
Now living in Provo, Boye has put together a new album of spiritually inspiring songs.
Many of the songs Boye deal with his LDS mission, his testimony and the experiences of his friends.
Auburn Lott, a board member of the Timpanogos Singer Songwriter Alliance, has seen Boye on stage many times and has noticed a growing fan base following Boye as he performs.
“I think he”s great,” Lott said. “Alex is very entertaining. He”s got the whole package.”
The Timpanogos Singer Songwriter Alliance is an organization established to support local musicians.
By offering songwriter workshops and places for the musicians to play, TSSA hope to build camaraderie and provide the community with something they may not know is out there, Lott said.
Boye, a new member to TSSA, displays his mix of R&B and contemporary Christian pop on his new album “The Love Goes On,” which will soon be available at the BYU Bookstore.
As Boye gets into his groove on stage, the audience dances to his upbeat renditions of more traditional LDS hymns such as “Because I Have Been Given Much,” and “Ye Elders of Israel.”
Provo residents Ben and Kate Estes with their daughters Sara and Alyssa found themselves dancing with Boye on stage during the Fourth of July celebrations.
“He was astounding from the first song,” Ben Estes said.
The family hadn”t heard of Boye before the Arts Fest but quickly became fans.
“We bought his CD on his second song,” Kate Estes said. “That”s how good he is. His music is very soulful and up-to-date sounding.”
The Estes own a chiropractic office in Provo and plan to play Boye”s new album for their patients.
“We expect to pay $50 a ticket one day to see him because he is really that good,” Kate Estes said.
After the show the Estes”s approached Boye and requested to be put on his e-mail list to ensure they can attend one of his next performances.
“It”s awesome,” Boye said of the response he received since arriving in Utah to record his album.
Although combining R&B with gospel sounds is not a common occurrence in the LDS music scene, Boye wanted to bring the important messages of the gospel to his audience through his love of R&B.
“If I can have people coming away not only entertained but saying, ”That really made me think about something,” then I feel I have accomplished something,” Boye said.
James Gregson, 25, a graduate student majoring in biochemistry from Manchester, England, said Boye”s on-stage performance was “smashing!”
