I Want Jesus To Walk With Me: Alex Boyé

The life story of Alex Boyé reads like a dramatic movie script. It is a rags to riches to rags-and-beyond story. It is a story of hope rising from the ashes, and a living testament of how God can work mighty miracles.

Born in 1970’s England to a Nigerian mother, and raised briefly in Nigeria by his father, Alex returned to London only to be abandoned by his mother. He spend many years in the foster care system. At age 16 while working at a McDonald’s he was introduced by a coworker to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When Alex chose to be baptized, he was kicked out of his house and became homeless on the streets of London. This was just the beginning of many hardships he would endure as a test of his faith. At age 19 Alex served a full-time Mormon mission, when he returned home, he formed a band with some friends, and were discovered on a national television talent competition. The group, named AWESOME, skyrocketed to fame and fortune. But, as is often the case, Alex watched how the lifestyle of a famous boy band travelling on the road began to deteriorate his friends and their choices. He soon realized he would have to make a hard decision and sacrifice his current path in order to keep his morals.

Choosing to walk away from his lucrative contract meant that Alex would literally lose everything that he owned, not to mention his career and many of his friends. Once again, he found himself poor, homeless and suffering many hardships. Putting all of his faith in God, things began to fall into place for Alex. He moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. He was invited to join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, (being called upon often as a soloist). He met his wife Julie in an LDS Singles ward, and they began a family. Today Alex is signed to a new recording label, he has a popular YouTube channel, new music albums being released, and has been featured as a guest artist with The Piano Guys. He also has his own  “I’m A Mormon” ad, here.

On February 22, 2012, Alex Boyé became a United States citizen. The judge conducting the citizenship ceremony surprised Alex by calling him out of the audience to sing the national anthem. Alex rendered an emotion-packed impromptu performance, sharing with the crowd that although he had sung the anthem many times over ten years, this was the first time as an American citizen.

In this new music video, Boyé sings “one of his favorite pieces of music”, juxtaposed between the stage of the historic Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah U.S. A., and the shores of Cape Coast, Ghana [where slaves were originally sent from Africa to America]. This beautiful African American spiritual reflects the longing, yearning, and hope to find solace and strength with Jesus. Surely, Alex Boyé personally understands the message of this song more than most. His moving performance reaches to the very heart and soul, and reminds us that we are not alone.