Richard Goodall works at a middle school just a few blocks from his home in Terre Haute, Indiana. The 55-year-old, who has been a janitor for 23 years, often sings while on the clock — in part to pass the time but more because of the response he gets from the students and teachers passing by in the halls.It was the support of the students, who call him Mr. Richard, that led Goodall to hop on a plane for the first time in his life to travel to Los Angeles and audition for “America’s Got Talent.”“I’m not a fancy person. I take out the trash, I wipe off the tables, I sweep the floors. I’m just having fun and I’m trying to make people happy,” Goodall said in a clip that 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.”
Since his audition, Goodall’s fanbase has grown — substantially. His audition, featuring a performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” went viral. To date, it has 24 million views on YouTube. All of his subsequent performances on “AGT” have well over 1 million views on YouTube.
Now, Goodall is one of the top 10 competitors vying for the $1 million prize and a headlining slot in Las Vegas. His final performance aired Wednesday night and “AGT” will reveal the winner on Sept. 24.
Here’s a look at Goodall’s run on “AGT” — and how he landed on the show in the first place.
Richard Goodall auditions for ‘AGT’
Goodall was visibly nervous as his time came to perform in front of “AGT” judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara. But after singing just the very first line of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Goodall had the audience on its feet. By the end of the song, he was overcome with emotion as he heard all of the applause and cheers.
“Richard, you are my hero,” Cowell said. “Because that was special, genuinely special. I think America is going to love you.”
Klum went on to give her golden buzzer to Goodall, advancing him straight to the quarterfinals of the competition.