Richard Goodall, a middle school janitor from Indianapolis, wowed audiences with his rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’” on the America’s Got Talent stage, leaving judge Heidi Klum in awe. After his performance aired, Richard was stunned to learn he was advancing straight to the live shows, sharing his disbelief and excitement:
“Golden Buzzer winners are an elite group of people. I never in a million years expected to be in that class. And I still can’t believe Heidi did that!”
Before taking the AGT stage, Richard shared that he sings in his free time, mostly for the students at West Vigo Middle School, who were instrumental in encouraging him to share his talent with the world.
Below is a clip of one of Richard Goodall’s unexpected duets with a female guest at a bar, performing “Don’t Stop Believin’”—a performance that further solidified his remarkable talent.
Richard, who has been working as a janitor for 23 years, began his career at Chauncey Rose Middle School in Terre Haute. While cleaning, Richard would often sing, and his voice quickly became a favorite among the students. Their encouragement was pivotal in pushing him to pursue music more seriously:
“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 trying to make people happy,” Richard shared.
Despite the overwhelming response to his AGT Golden Buzzer moment, Richard remains humble:
“I’m a normal person who does regular things for people. My singing, I have done mostly every year in our schools. Anytime they asked me to sing, I did it. To this day, I know how lucky I am. And I’m not taking any of this for granted.”