In 2009, Neely participated in Taiwanese singing competition One Million Star (Season 5) as a PK (Player Kill) challenger.

Neely double-majored in psychology and theatre studies at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

Neely grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in a small suburb, Millbrae, California.

One of the judges of the competition, Phil Chang, was greatly touched by the performance, and praised Neely's rendition for "having a different style from the original singer."

[5] In March 2022, Neely revealed that he married his mistress, Kris Kuan 5 years after cheating on his then-wife with her.