Students loved hearing this middle school janitor sing. Now, his voice just made him $1 million richer.
Despite having talent, people don't always have the means and access to pathways that could lead them to success. But these limitations didn't stop Richard Goodall, who has been a janitor for more than two decades, but often sings while on the clock. It was with the support of the students who call him Mr. Richards, that he dared to get on a plane for the first time in his life and traveled to Los Angeles to audition for "America's Got Talent." "I’m not a fancy person. I take out the trash, I wipe off the tables, and I sweep the floors. I’m just having fun and I’m trying to make people happy," Goodall said in a clip that was aired ahead of his "AGT" audition. "The kids would hear me sing and they’d tell me that I’ve got talent. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I got on a plane," he added.
Since his performance aired, his fanbase has only grown. His audition featuring a performance of Journey’s "Don’t Stop Believin'," swept over TikTok and the performance also got more than 20 million views on YouTube. Now, Goodall has won the $1 million prize and a headlining slot in Las Vegas. “AGT” declared him the Season 19 winner at the end of the two-hour season finale Tuesday night.
It all started with the audition for which he was really nervous as it was his first time performing in front of experts such as the likes of Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara. However, by the end of his performance, he had already left a profound impression not only on the judges but also on the live audience. "Richard, you are my hero," Cowell said. "Because that was special, genuinely special. I think America is going to love you," Cowell added. Klum then went ahead to hit the golden buzzer for his performance which advanced him straight to the quarterfinals of the competition. During the quarterfinals, he received all the more appreciation for his rendition of Michael Bolton’s "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You."
"I felt your nerves a little bit today, but I also feel the passion that you have when you sing, with every syllable that you sing," Klum said. "I think you’re one of the most memorable contestants we’ve had for a long, long time," Cowell added. In the Semifinals, he brought an energetic performance with the famous song "Eye of the Tiger" which was also a hit. For his final performance, he sang "Faithfully," which is one of his favorite songs, to become the winner.
This wasn't the first time that he had auditioned for the show. The singer tried out for the show 15 years ago but didn't make it past the preliminary rounds, he told Parade. Goodall then got a second chance when a teacher's assistant filmed a video of him performing a journey song at his middle school that went viral on TikTok. A producer later saw the video and reached out to "America's Got Talent," which marked the beginning of his amazing journey.
