From janitor to ‘AGT’ champion, Richard Goodall’s journey is a true story of dreams coming true!
The winner of ‘America’s Got Talent’ 2024 has been crowned. Richard Goodall, the ‘singing janitor,’ claimed the grand prize of $1 million during the show's finale on Tuesday night. The powerful vocalist, who earned Heidi Klum's Golden Buzzer, outshone nine other finalists, including the gravity-defying Hakuna Matata Acrobats from Tanzania, Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi, and the Japanese dance crew AIRFOOTWORKS. Let’s take a look at his journey from janitor to AGT 2024 champion.
Six months ago, 55-year-old Richard Goodall was working as a janitor in Terre Haute, Indiana. Participating in ‘AGT’ was a completely new experience for him, having spent the last 23 years in the same school district in western Indiana. In fact, his audition for the NBC competition marked the first time he ever boarded a plane. Growing up, Goodall honed his singing skills by singing along to his RadioShack stereo, and in the '90s, he performed at local karaoke nights. He also sang with two gospel trios, a passion he pursued until the pandemic brought those performances to a stop.
Richard Goodall's soulful voice first gained widespread attention on TikTok in 2022 when his performance at his students’ graduation went viral. Reflecting on that moment, Goodall shared, “She come up with the kindergarten teachers and they said that it was at 100,000 thousand views and I said is that good and she said that she didn’t even have 1,000 followers. By the end of that weekend, it was a million.”
Richard Goodall’s audition, featuring an emotional rendition of Journey’s ‘Don't Stop Believin’,’ quickly went viral. His soulful performance captivated the judges, and Heidi Klum was so impressed that she awarded him the coveted Golden Buzzer, securing his spot in the live shows, sending him straight to the quarter-final round.
(Credit: USA Today)
Over the past several months, Richard Goodall has consistently impressed the ‘AGT’ judges and won the hearts of viewers with powerful performances, including Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ and Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger.’ After advancing through the quarter-finals, he returned to his school, where a welcome-back rally was held in his honor. There, he delivered an inspiring message to students and staff. With each performance, Goodall continued to captivate audiences, securing his spot in the semi-finals and ultimately the finale, where he was adored by the judges. Despite the love and attention he’s received from fans, Goodall insists he’s staying grounded and not letting fame affect him.
As the finale night drew to a close, the competition came down to just two acts: Richard Goodall and the Israeli dog-performing duo, Roni Sagi and Rhythm. The moment everyone had been anticipating finally arrived when Neal Schon, a fan of Goodall, joined the singing custodian on stage with the legendary band Journey. Together, they performed the song that had launched Goodall's journey— ‘Don’t Stop Believin.’
(Credit: Trae Patton/NBC)
In 2021, Richard Goodall faced a heartbreaking loss when his wife, Patty, passed away from cancer. Reflecting on that time, he shared, “When you're married for so long and they pass away, and you’ve got that void, your biggest concern is figuring out who you are without them.” Music became a healing outlet for him during that difficult period. Winning ‘AGT’ is just the icing on the cake of an eventful week for Goodall, who also married his longtime love, Angie, just before the finale. It's the beginning of a new chapter in his life.
