Richard Goodall, a janitor from Terre Haute, Indiana, received the highly coveted Golden Buzzer on the May 28th episode of "America's Got Talent" for his incredible performance of "Don’t Stop Believin’" by Journey.
Goodall shared a bit of his life story right before he took the stage.
He said growing up, he liked listening to music in his bedroom with his "Radio Shack stereo."
"I just belt it out," he said. "Eventually, I was like, I got to find me a job, so I become a janitor at Chauncey Rose Middle School, which is only three blocks away from my house.”
"The kids would hear me sing, and they tell me that I've got talent," he explained. "That's why I'm here. That's why I got on a plane."
Goodall compared the feeling of being on the show to the unstable feeling he gets from flying.
“I felt that front wheel come off the ground and you have this floating (feeling), you’re no longer stable. And that’s what this whole experience is like right now,” he said. “It’s a good off-balance, but until you actually do something, you don’t know if it’s right for you or not.”
Onstage, Goodall told the judges and the crowd that he was a bit nervous. He explained he's been a janitor for 23 years and is 55 years old.
"I hope he's good," judge Simon Cowell whispered to fellow judge Sofia Vergara before the performance started. "I really do."
"I know. I hope so," she replied.
However, when Goodall started singing, he completely blew away the audience and the judges.
Cowell's jaw dropped after Goodall belted out an incredible first note.
The crowd and host Terry Crews also expressed their excitement with cheers for Goodall.
At one point, Heidi Klum looked to her fellow judge Howie Mandell and said, "So amazing!"
Goodall ended up receiving a standing ovation after he finished singing.
In his review, Cowell called Goodall his "hero" and said the janitor gave a "special" performance tonight.
"I think America is going to love you," he said.
Vergara also raved about Goodall's talent and said it was "spectacular."
"That was fun. This was an amazing surprise," she said. "I think you were perfect to come to 'AGT,' because you made our night."
Mandell said, "You, and maybe because you've been doing it for 23 years, but you just cleaned up."
"I would imagine that every kid that has ever been in a school with you is just screaming," he continued. "I just think you're amazing."
Things only got better for Goodall when Klum shared her thoughts about his vocal skills.
"Richard, Richard, Richard, you knocked me off my feet," she said. "I mean, we all had the best time with you up there on that stage. I really, really feel something when I see you up there and hear you up there, and now this is what I'm going to do for you because I love you."
Klum proceeded to press the Golden Buzzer, which sends a contestant directly through to the live shows, and the entire studio audience stood up to cheer, causing Goodall to shed a couple of tears as golden confetti came down around him.
“Oh, my gosh, you guys. I’ve never even been on a plane,” he said. “This was not on my radar to come to California. It’s just a dream come true.”
In the YouTube comments section on the video of Goodall's performance, people said they noticed Goodall from his years working as a janitor.
“I can’t express with words how lucky I feel to be able to say that I am one of the kids who always told him how amazing his voice is,” one person shared online. “My favorite part of walking through the hallway of Elementary school is hearing this phenomenon. Richard, you are indeed a true hero.”
Another said, “He is the janitor at my twins school, West Vigo. They were screaming and crying tears of happiness for Mr. Richard last night with their friends, I was right there with them, as was the entire Vigo County community! We are SO excited for him! It couldn’t happen for a more humble and kind man, he is so deserving of this. Can’t wait for America to see what we Hautian peeps have had the pleasure of seeing for two decades. LETS GO MR RICHARD.”
Joyann Jeffrey
