For 23 years, Richard Goodall worked as a school janitor in Terre Haute, Indiana. Students knew him as someone who cleaned the halls and occasionally sang while he worked.
Then, in 2024, he stepped onto the America’s Got Talent stage.
Goodall chose one of Journey’s most recognizable songs, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” for his audition. What happened next turned the longtime school janitor into one of Season 19’s most talked-about contestants.
From School Hallways to the AGT Stage
Goodall had been working as a school janitor for more than two decades when students and teachers encouraged him to audition for America’s Got Talent.
His connection to singing had actually started long before the television audition. According to Goodall, he would often sing around the school while doing his job, and the students eventually recognized that he had a powerful voice.
A video of Goodall singing “Don’t Stop Believin’” to students in 2022 was filmed by a teaching assistant and posted online. The clip quickly gained attention, eventually helping lead to his opportunity to audition for AGT.
For someone who had never expected a career in entertainment, the journey to the AGT stage was already unusual.
Richard Goodall Sings “Don’t Stop Believin’”
When Goodall walked onto the America’s Got Talent stage, he admitted that he was nervous.
Then he began singing.
His performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” revealed a voice that was very different from what his day job might have suggested.
The judges and audience responded strongly as he worked his way through the song.
Howie Mandel even played on Goodall’s profession when giving his feedback, telling him that he had “just cleaned up.” Heidi Klum was similarly impressed by what she had heard.
Heidi Klum Pressed the Golden Buzzer
The biggest moment of the audition came from Heidi Klum.
After hearing Goodall sing, Klum stood up and pressed her Golden Buzzer.
The moment sent gold confetti falling from the ceiling and sent Goodall directly through to the live shows.
It was an emotional moment for the singer, who had arrived on the AGT stage as a school janitor and suddenly found himself with a direct path deeper into the competition.
The Golden Buzzer also helped turn Goodall’s audition into one of the defining moments of the early part of Season 19.
His AGT Journey Was Just Beginning
The Golden Buzzer was only the start.
Goodall continued performing throughout Season 19, taking on several well-known songs from the 1980s.
He performed Michael Bolton’s “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” during the live shows and later sang Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” in the semifinals.
He then reached the finale, where he returned to the song that started his AGT journey: “Don’t Stop Believin’.” This time, he performed it with members of Journey, including guitarist Neal Schon.
From Janitor to AGT Champion
Goodall’s story ultimately went far beyond a memorable audition.
In September 2024, he was announced as the Season 19 winner of America’s Got Talent.
His victory earned him the show’s $1 million prize and a new car.
The result made his journey particularly remarkable: a school janitor from Indiana had walked onto a national television stage, received Heidi Klum’s Golden Buzzer, made it through the competition and ultimately won the season.
Why Richard Goodall’s Story Resonated
Goodall’s AGT story had an element that went beyond singing.
For years, his talent had largely been part of his everyday life at school. He sang while working, and students who heard him encouraged him to take the next step.
That eventually led him to America’s Got Talent.
His story also carried a powerful contrast: the man viewers saw on stage was the same person who had spent years cleaning school hallways.
Goodall himself later said that the experience changed his life, while continuing to emphasize his connection to the school where he worked.
Watch Richard Goodall’s AGT Audition
Richard Goodall’s original America’s Got Talent audition remains the starting point for one of Season 19’s most memorable journeys.
He arrived as a school janitor, chose a classic Journey song and delivered a performance that earned Heidi Klum’s Golden Buzzer.
From there, he advanced through the competition, performed alongside Journey in the finale and eventually became the Season 19 champion.
Final Thoughts
Richard Goodall’s America’s Got Talent journey began in a surprisingly ordinary place: a school hallway.
For years, he worked as a janitor and sang for students while doing his job. A video of him singing eventually helped bring his voice to a much larger audience, leading him to the AGT stage in 2024.
His audition of “Don’t Stop Believin’” earned Heidi Klum’s Golden Buzzer, and his journey continued all the way to the Season 19 finale.
Then came the biggest surprise of all.
Richard Goodall didn’t just become an AGT finalist.
He became the Season 19 winner.
