Season 19 of America’s Got Talent has come to a close and the competition during the Live Final was fiercer than ever. This season’s Acts pushed the boundaries of belief, and sometimes, the boundaries of physics to deliver some truly astonishing entertainment.
The top 10 Acts took to the stage one last time on September 17, 2024 to campaign for votes and their shot at the $1 million prize. The lineup was diverse, including death-defying acrobats, quick-change magic, stand-up comedy, a dancing dog, and an aerial drone show. On paper, an unassuming 55-year-old elementary school janitor might seem like odd company, but Richard Goodall has a hidden talent which carried him all the way to the finish line and earned him the season’s win.
Goodall keeps things sparkling at an elementary school in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he sings in the halls while cleaning up. Students told him he was talented often enough that he eventually started to believe them, and he hopped a plane headed for AGT. Ever since then, he’s been a rocket headed straight to the top. Goodall closed out the first set of Auditions with an incredible rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. When he was finished, Simon Cowell said, “I think America is going to love you,” and he was right.
After earning a Golden Buzzer, Goodall returned with performances of Michael Bolton’s “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” and Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” each song moving him one step closer to the Final.
Richard Goodall sings “Faithfully” by Journey during Live Final
Before his Finals performance, Goodall received video messages from well-wishers.
“I’m hoping I’m not looking for a new janitor, but Richard, if I am, it means you won it all,” said the school principal. Similar messages from students and family members accompanied a school marquee reading “Good luck ‘sweeping’ the competition.” Goodall also heard from Journey guitarist Neal Schon, who had an exciting announcement.
“Richard, it’s Neal from Journey. I loved your audition, man, and I have a surprise for you. I’m coming to perform with you on the finale. I will see you really soon,” Schon said.
Appropriately, Goodall delivered his second Journey song of the season, belting out a heart-rending performance of “Faithfully.” The combined power of Goodall’s voice and the accompanying backing band had the entire crowd on its feet, flashlights and smartphones lighting up the room. Even after the final notes rang out, the cheering crowd was so loud that the Judges could hardly be heard.
“Thankfully it’s a song that I had been singing to Ang for a very, very long time,” Goodall told NBC Insider. “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.”
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What did the Judges say about Richard Goodall’s Finals Act?
“Richard, I can feel the energy behind me. Honestly, from the minute you came on this show, you’ve never crumbled. You haven’t, you’ve risen. We all need a hero right now, and you are our hero,” Cowell said, reiterating his earlier feelings.
Howie Mandel went even further, saying, “I will make a prediction right now. I think you just sang yourself one million dollars.”
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