This week the winner of the 19th season of America’s Got Talent was chosen. And the story of Richard Goodall, the winner of the famous competition, is extraordinary, impressive and motivating.
Richard Goodall with the band Journey in the final PHOTO Neal Schon/Facebook
For 23 years, Richard Goodall (55 years old) has been working as a janitor at a school in the American state of Indiana. Over the years, several people close to her have told her that she has a special voice. And Richard believed in his dream and his wonderful voice and decided to audition for America’s Got Talent this year.
It seemed like an impossible mission when there are many contestants with very good voices. But Richard Goodall never gave up on his dream. And at the auditions he chose a famous song by the band Journey. A song with a motivating and seemingly predestined title: “Don’t Stop Believin'” (n. ed. – “Don’t ever stop believing”). And what followed was simply fantastic. Richard’s voice wowed the judges and the audience and made them think of the legendary Steve Perry, the former lead singer of Journey. Heidi Klumm pressed Golden Buzz and Simon Cowell simply told her: “You are my hero”. And that’s where the incredible story of Richard Goodall on America’s Got Talent began.
Very fond of the power ballads of the 1980s, Richard sang Michael Bolton’s “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” and Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” during the following stages. And in the final, he impressed again with the superb ballad “Faithfully” by the band Journey and won America’s Got Talent, a million dollars and a car. At 55, Richard is the oldest winner of the famous contest.
Another memorable moment followed in the final. Richard sang “Don’t Stop Believin'” with Neal Schon and Journey! Another dream come true.
“A janitor named Richard Goodall sang at the ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ auditions.’ And now he sang with Journey in the finale”said Howie Mandel, one of the jurors.
“Simon Cowell says that two minutes can change your life. I can say that my life has changed, I succeeded”America’s Got Talent-winning janitor Richard Goodall said through tears.
The recent winner with such an emotional story also later said that he will still work as a janitor at the school in Indiana, but “not for very long”. A new life has begun for Richard Goodall thanks to his incredible voice.
