Richard Goodall, the Season 19 winner of “America’s Got Talent,” performed JOURNEY classic “Don’t Stop Believin'” alongside band members Neal Schon, Deen Castronovo, Todd Jensen, and Jason Derlatka during the show’s two-hour finale on Tuesday night (September 24).
Goodall, a school custodian from Terre Haute, Indiana, affectionately dubbed the “Singing Janitor,” was crowned the Season 19 champion of the NBC show and awarded the $1 million prize.
Schon told host Terry Crews after the performance: “We’ve been on tour for the last six months, and I’ve been watching this phenomenon. He’s an amazing singer, amazing man, and I’m proud to be here today for him.” Schon later posted on social media: “Richard Goodall won! It was great to be a part of this! Congratulations!”
Goodall spoke to NBC Insider about his decision to sing JOURNEY‘s “Faithfully” earlier during the final: “Thankfully it’s a song that I had been singing to Ang [wife Angie Vanoven] for a very, very long time. 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.”
Goodall told Deadline about winning “America’s Got Talent”: “I’ve been a fan of the show for years. I had tried out, and it wasn’t that I gave up — it was just like if it was meant to be, it was meant to be.”
“I went into every single portion of the show with no expectations. I’ve just gone out there and left it all out on the stage… whatever happens after the show, I’m sure will just be icing on the cake.
“We’re going to have us a nice little house and be able to retire; maybe retire in style and see what other opportunities are on the horizon.”
Goodall works at an elementary school in Terre Haute, where he often sings as he goes about his cleaning duties in the hallways.
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