Who is Richard Goodall? 7 facts about the ‘America’s Got Talent’ season 19 winner

“America’s Got Talent” crowned Richard Goodall, a self-proclaimed “singing janitor” from Indiana, as its newest winner.

During the Tuesday night finale, Goodall, who won Heidi Klum’s Golden Buzzer, beat out nine other finalists, including Tanzanian acrobats Hakuna Matata Acrobats, Zimbabwean stand-up comedian Learnmore Jonasi and Japanese dance group Air Foot Works.

The competition then narrowed down to just Goodall and a dog-performing duo from Israel, Roni Sagi and Rhythm. However, the Hoosier ultimately won the $1 million prize.

Goodall ended the night by taking the stage with the band Journey and its co-founder/lead guitarist Neal Schon for a rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which is the song he performed during his first audition.

Here are seven facts about the 2024 “America’s Got Talent” winner.

Where is Richard Goodall from?

Goodall is a 55-year-old elementary school janitor who lives in Terre Haute, Indiana. Goodall has reportedly worked in the same Western Indiana school district for 23 years, and can often be found singing in the halls while working.

‘Music was the bridge’ for Richard Goodall after losing his wife

Goodall grew up singing along to his RadioShack stereo and jumping on stage during karaoke nights in the ’90s, per USA TODAY. He also performed with two gospel trios until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Then in 2021, Goodall’s wife, Patty, died of cancer.

“When you’re married for so long and they pass away and you’ve got that void there, your biggest concern is figuring out who you are without them,” he told the Indy Star in May. “And music was the bridge again.”

Students would often tell Goodall how talented he was, per NBC. After a while, the janitor eventually started to believe them, so he boarded a plane for the first time to audition for the talent competition show.

Richard Goodall got married a week before the ‘AGT’ finale

The week before the finale, Goodall married his fiancee, Angie Vanoven, with his “AGT” family in attendance. He announced on Facebook that they are now Richard and Angela VanGoodall.

Richard Goodall has gone viral before

In 2022, Goodall went viral for his rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which he performed at his students’ graduation. A clip of the performance was posted to TikTok and has since amassed over 3 million views.

Journey even shared the clip on its official TikTok account, and Goodall received a supportive comment from former frontman Steve Perry.

@mlankfordx0 #fyp #schooljanitors #blowhimup #blesshissoul #amazing ♬ To use this video in a commercial player or in b – Mariah Lankford✨

Richard Goodall is in a band

In addition to being an “AGT” winner, Goodall is the lead singer of a band called ManOpause. According to its Facebook page, the band performs “classic to current rock anthems that others just can’t play.”

What does Richard Goodall plan to do with the $1 million prize?

Goodall told the Indy Star he plans to put the $1 million prize toward a double-wide trailer. He plans to move the trailer to a senior living community in Florida and enjoy retirement, with the occasional pasta and seafood dinner.

“I’m not a fancy person,” he said.