There’s never a shortage of talent when it comes to “America’s Got Talent”, and that is more than just evident after almost two decades. The show not only brings us entertainment and good moments, but also heartful stories, and the chance to see people achieve their dreams.
That’s the case for season 19’s winner Richard Goodall, a 55-year-old school janitor, who demonstrated not only that America loves the underdog, but also that it’s never too late to pursue our dreams, especially if you have a talent like his. His perfect and moving audition left audiences open-mouthed and enthralled, setting the path to a memorable journey which resulted in Richard hitting the season’s winning spot.
So what has Richard been doing since winning “America’s Got Talent” in 2024? What are his plans for the future and what has his life story been so far? Keep with us to learn this and more!
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What Is Richard Doing Now, and Where?
Richard Goodall’s “America’s Got Talent” triumph was aired on 24 September 2024, and he’s made the best out of it ever since. He’s performed in several events in his local Indiana, where he was warmly welcomed by people in his hometown Terre Haute, with the mayor presenting him with the keys to the city. The school where he has been working for over two decades now has his victory song “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey as the school year’s hymn.
On top of that, his social media follower count hasn’t stopped growing, with his Facebook and Instagram accounts gaining almost 200,000 combined in just a couple of months.
While Richard’s life has undoubtedly changed thanks to “America’s Got Talent”, those changes started even before he entered the competition. For a start, he married just a week before taking the 19th season’s top spot, posting his and his now-wife Angie’s wedding rings on Facebook with the following caption: ‘As of 3pm pacific time Angie and I are now Richard and Angela VanGoodall!’ he wrote.
As Richard later commented to NBC Insider, he and Angie chose to marry while still in California to ‘make it a part of the whole experience’ of being there. That’s why they invited close family and a couple of members of the “America’s Got Talent” staff to the small wedding.
Where Is He From?
Richard Goodall was born on 10 October 1969. Though it’s unclear where exactly he was born, he’s been living in Terre Haute, Indiana, for several decades now.
Before setting foot on the stage of “America’s Got Talent”, Richard worked as a janitor at Chauncey Rose Middle School, located in the same school district he’s been working in for 23 years. He’s also a member of the band ManOpause, which performs renditions of rock classics, and has almost 2,000 followers on Facebook.
As seen in some old videos, it wasn’t rare for Richard to perform songs at his workplace. On one occasion in 2022, a video of him performing “Don’t Stop Believing” in front of middle school kids went viral, gaining three million TikTok views over time, and even took the attention of former Journey’s Steve Perry, who commented positively on the video.
There was also “America’s Got Talent” judge Howie Mandell, who shared the video and stated that Richard ‘needs to be (in the show)’ in September 2023. In response, Richard commented that he was still working as a janitor but ‘would love to come’. At that point, Richard had already gained a considerable following on the clip format platform, but he didn’t know what was waiting for him the next year.
Path In AGT
While going viral on the internet for his talent must have been a strong encouragement for Richard Goodall, the person who supported him the most to pursue his dream of singing was his then-fiancée Angela Vanoven. As Richard confessed to NBC Insider, Angie was very sure that he was going to do great in the show, to the point that she assured him he was most likely receiving a Golden Buzzer, before sending Richard off to board the plane which flew him from Indiana to California.
Before that, Richard had never boarded a plane or been away from home further than Missouri, but he didn’t have big expectations either. As Richard admitted to People, he thought that his journey was meant to last just one song, before he would take a plane back home.
Life had better and greater things waiting for him, though. Despite his visible nervousness when he spoke to the judges for the first time, it just took him a couple of seconds to impress everyone with his “Don’t Stop Believing” rendition. On her part, Heidi Klum was more than dazzled by his performance, and had a feeling that things were going to work for him, describing Richard as ‘special’ for his voice, personality, and evident lack of professional singing background. That led her to press the Golden Buzzer to send him further in the competition.
The Rest Of The Journey
Following his audition for “America’s Got Talent”, Richard Goodall was nicknamed the ‘singing janitor’. At that point, he was loved by the audience and secured a spot during the first elimination round, thanks to Heidi Klum’s Golden Buzzer.
His second appearance in the show was during the Quarter-finals, where he sang Michael Bolton’s legendary hit “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You”, dedicating his rendition to his fiancée Angie, yet what truly won people’s hearts was his impeccable performance, and the feelings he conveyed.
After getting into the top five night contestants, Richard advanced to the Semi-finals, where he sang “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, showing his wide performance range with the upbeat song. The passion was evident in how Richard carried himself in a true rockstar fashion, no doubt impressing the standing audience.
In the Finals, Richard performed Journey’s “Faithfully”, and advanced to the Finale, where he performed “Don’t Stop Believing” once again, though this time alongside Journey. That rendition was the perfect final stage of his “America’s Got Talent” path, earning him the most votes to become the season’s winner.
What Is Richard Planning For The Future?
True to the humble demeanour that he showed from the moment he set foot on the stage of “America’s Got Talent”, Richard Goodall had very down-to-earth plans following his victory.
For a start, Richard isn’t leaving his janitor job for the time being, but is planning to see what other opportunities are there for him and his wife Angie. As he told People, he plans to invest part of his $1 million prize, buy a house and ‘give back to people’. Retirement is also an option for Richard, who admitted wanting to buy a trailer and move to Florida.
Hopefully, from now on, Richard’s victory will inspire many people to pursue their dreams.
