If there’s one thing that is clear, Richard Goodall lives by the mantra that happened to be the song that helped him earn Heidi Klum’s Golden Buzzer. After performing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” as his first performance on Season 19 of America’s Got Talent, Richard Goodall shot to stardom thanks to his incredible story and incredible talent. And now, Richard Goodall can call himself an AGT champion. So how does it feel to have won the reality competition series? Goodall said, “It feels awesome to me.”

Season 19 of America’s Got Talent was filled with a wide variety of acts eager to take home the $1 million prize. Hosted by Terry Crews, the panel saw the return of judges Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Simon Cowell. The final acts that fought their chance at victory included Sebastian and Sonia, AIRFOOTWORKS, Hakuna Matata Acrobats, DeeDee Simon, Brent Street, Leanmore Jonasi, Richard Goodall, Roni Sage & Rhythm, Sky Elements, and Solange Kardinaly.

Richard Goddall’s Journey From a Shy Janitor to Being Recognized at a Grocery Store

When Richard Goodall first arrived on Season 19 of America’s Got Talent, he put on a shy demeanor. The shy janitor from Terre Haute, Indiana kicked off the premiere episode with his emotional performance of “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. His performance was so inspiring, Heidi Klum slammed the button to give Goodall the Golden Buzzer. From there, his AGT journey was something special. Goodall said, “This whole time, this whole journey on AGT has been just amazing. Through each and every moment I have learned something from every single one of the people that not just are in front of the camera.” Goodall praised those who helped make AGT goes back to this humble persona. “It’s an absolute honor to to know that people have gravitated towards me and you know who I am,” he said.

“I think just me, my job, and the way I look, you can just tell by looking at me I’m not fancy. There’s nothing fancy about me, and it’s an honor for people, for me that people have gravitated towards me and what talent I’ve got. So, you know, I just make do with what I’ve got, and I’m very, very grateful,” he shared. Goodall, who had never been on a an airplane prior to his journey to AGT, is slowly learning what it’s like to be recognized. He may be, in his words, a “regular person,” but that’s not stopping people from saying hello! “I was in Ralph’s the other night, and the security guard stopped me, and I thought, ‘oh crap, what’d I do?’ And he goes, ‘Hey.’ I go, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘you’re on that show.’ And I was like, Oh, good. I didn’t do anything wrong,” he joked about his brush with fame.

Richard Goodall Is the People’s Choice on ‘AGT’

Before Richard Goodall, Terra Haute, Indiana was known for Larry Bird, who has his own museum in the town. Now Terra Haute has the winner of America’s Got Talent! He knows the kids at his school he works out and the entire community is immensely proud of him. The singing janitor was something new for Terra Haute to celebrate. He said the community is “extremely proud” of his rise to stardom.

For those who may not know, Richard Goodall first caught AGT’s attention when a video of him singing “Don’t Stop Believing” went viral.Steve Perry and Journey saw the viral video, and from there, he said everything was “organic.” Well, aside from the fact that the song he was about to start his journey on was voted as The Biggest Song of All Time. “For whatever reason, you don’t choose TV. TV chooses you. And so then I get out there, and I sing, you know, the biggest song in the world,” he said. “No pressure there. Let’s just add that on top of, you know, singing in front of four, you know, wonderful celebrity judges.” But he won the hearts of the judges. And America. For him, that was something incredibly special. “To know that I’m the people’s choice. I mean, you can. Hell by looking at me, I’m just a regular person.”

Music Is Richard Goodall’s Life
Image via NBC

When Simon Cowell asked Goodall what he was going to sing in his initial audience, Goodall meekly shared that he would let the song answer his question. This song and the band that made it means a lot to Richard Goodall. He said, “Well, let’s just take the song that got me to where I am. It’s a mantra. It’s telling people that you know, no matter what is going on in your life, and you don’t have money to pay this bill or that bill, don’t stop believing.” He continued, “I’m a regular, you know, basically nine to five job Monday through Friday. I’m living from paycheck to paycheck, and then all of a sudden, you know, I’m on the biggest stage in the world. Don’t stop believing.”

Music is a big part of Richard Goodall’s life. He shared that his taste in music is wide-ranging. “I listen to basically everything, with the exception of opera, which I know the best vocals in the world are operatic I listen to. I mean, if I were just to sit down and listen to music, it would be mostly 80s, he said.” Goodall revealed that there was a period in his life where country music was present. He admitted, “I had my era where I was in country music competitions and got told no multiple times because I was that overweight guy, and I actually wrote a song called “Fluffy.” So what’s on the Richard Goodall playlist, aside from Journey? Lionel Richie, 38 Special, Boston, just to name a few.

To end his journey on AGT Season 19, he book-ended it with another Journey song, “Faithfully.” For Goodall, this song too had immense meaning. “The second song I sang of Journey’s is a love song. I gravitated towards that because of Ange,” Goodall shared. “She’s introverted, where I’m an extrovert, and she’s had to go through a lot of stuff. And that song just screams, you know, hey, I’m out on the road and, you know, I love you faithfully no matter where I’m at or where I’m going or what I’m doing.” Winning America’s Got Talent wasn’t the only amazing thing that happened to Richard and Angie. They officially became Angela and Richard Goodall, a day following the finals. A major congrats to the newlyweds!

What’s Next for Richard Goodall?

It’s one thing to be able to share your talent with the world. It’s another when you win a massive cash prize for your talent! Upon finishing his finale performance, Howie Mandel stated that Goodall sang himself to $1 million. Has it sunk in? “No, it has not sunk in yet. But we, Ang and I, have sat down and talked, and we have a financial plan in place. We’re going to get us our house and washer and dryer, and but also invest some of the money and be smart about everything,” he admitted. “As far as a honeymoon? Richard reveals this was one of them.

So what’s the next big dream for Richard Goodall? He happily said, “Honestly, the sky’s the limit.” Richard Goodall has inspired so many people with his incredible journey on America’s Got Talent. Now, as the winner, this is his time to offer some advice to those, like him, who might be a bit shy to share their talent with the world. The moral of his story is, “Don’t stop believing.”

All episodes of America’s Got Talent are available to stream on Peacock.

Stream on Peacock.