Richard Goodall, the singing janitor and fan favorite, has been crowned the champion of America’s Got Talent. The powerful vocalist, who previously received Heidi Klum’s Golden Buzzer, was announced the winner in Tuesday night’s episode, outshining nine other finalists.
Emotions ran high as Goodall shed tears of joy amidst the confetti following his victory in season 19 of AGT. “Simon (Cowell) says ‘two minutes can change your life,’” he said. “My life has been transformed.”
In a romantic twist, Goodall recently married his fiancée, Angie Vanoven, just days before the finale. “Ang, I did it,” he exclaimed during the AGT celebration.
Heidi Klum expressed her excitement, shouting, “I’m so excited for you, Richard!”
Throughout his AGT journey, Goodall captivated audiences with performances of Michael Bolton’s “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,” Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” and Journey’s “Faithfully.” In a full-circle moment during the finale, he joined Journey’s Neal Schon for a performance of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” a song he initially sang in the audition round.
At 55 years old, Goodall works as an elementary school janitor but now adds the title of AGT champion along with a $1 million prize to his accomplishments. “Thankfully, it’s a song that I had been singing to Ang for a very, very long time,” he shared about choosing “Faithfully” for his performance. “I started with Journey, I wanted to end the competition with Journey. And then little did I know I was going to be a big footnote at the end of the book… Phenomenal.”
His rendition of “Faithfully” received a standing ovation, with Simon Cowell commenting, “We all need a hero right now, and you are our hero.” Howie Mandel boldly predicted, “I think you just sang yourself $1 million,” a prediction that ultimately came true.