Kids love hearing this middle school janitor sing. Now he’s a favorite to win $1 million on ‘America’s Got Talent’

Richard Goodall works at a middle school just a few blocks from his home in Terre Haute, Indiana. The 55-year-old, who has been a janitor for 23 years, often sings while on the clock — in part to pass the time but more because of the response he gets from the students and teachers passing by in the halls.

It was the support of the students, who call him Mr. Richard, that led Goodall to hop on a plane for the first time in his life to travel to Los Angeles and audition for “ America’s Got Talent .”

“I’m not a fancy person. I take out the trash, I wipe off the tables, I sweep the floors. I’m just having fun and I’m trying to make people happy,” Goodall said in a clip that aired ahead of his “AGT” audition . “The kids would hear me sing and they’d tell me that I’ve got talent. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I got on a plane.”

Since his audition, Goodall’s fanbase has grown — substantially. His audition, featuring a performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” went viral. To date, it has 24 million views on YouTube. All of his subsequent performances on “AGT” have well over 1 million views on YouTube.

Now, Goodall is one of the top 10 competitors vying for the $1 million prize and a headlining slot in Las Vegas. His final performance aired Wednesday night and “AGT” will reveal the winner on Sept. 24.

Here’s a look at Goodall’s run on “AGT” — and how he landed on the show in the first place.

Richard Goodall auditions for ‘AGT’

Goodall was visibly nervous as his time came to perform in front of “AGT” judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara. But after singing just the very first line of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Goodall had the audience on its feet. By the end of the song, he was overcome with emotion as he heard all of the applause and cheers.

“Richard, you are my hero,” Cowell said. “Because that was special, genuinely special. I think America is going to love you.”

Klum went on to give her golden buzzer to Goodall, advancing him straight to the quarterfinals of the competition.

During the quarterfinals, Goodall received high praise for his performance of Michael Bolton’s “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You.”

“I felt your nerves a little bit today, but I also feel the passion that you have when you sing, with every syllable that you sing,” Klum said.

“I think you’re one of the most memorable contestants we’ve had for a long, long time,” Cowell added, telling Goodall he believed the singer had a shot at winning the whole competition.

For the semifinals , Goodall brought an energetic performance of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” to the stage, leading Klum to call it an “epic performance.”

And “AGT” viewers keep voting him through. Goodall gets one more performance before the show’s big reveal, but in his mind, he’s already accomplished what he set out to do.

“This was not on my radar to come to California. It’s just a dream come true,” he said during his “AGT” audition.

For his final appearance, Goodall brought his time on the show full circle with a performance of another “Journey” song: “Faithfully.” Following the performance, all of the judges declared their desire for the singer to win the entire competition.

“I have been faithfully your biggest fan since the very, very first day we met,” Klum said. “You are such an amazing man. You’re so humble. You’re so kind. You’re also a little bit quiet, but not when you are behind that microphone. Then you are a big rock star. ... I want you to win this so bad, Richard.”

“We all need a hero right now,” Cowell added. “And you are our hero.”

“I think you just sang yourself $1 million,” Mandel said.

How Richard Goodall landed on ‘AGT’

This isn’t actually Goodall’s first time auditioning for “AGT.”

The singer tried out for the show 15 years ago but didn’t make it past the preliminary rounds, he told Parade . But Goodall got a second chance when a teacher’s assistant filmed a video of him performing a Journey song at his middle school that went viral on TikTok.

“That was a Thursday afternoon. Friday morning, I’m scrubbing the floor in the first grade, and they approached me and said, ‘Hey, we filmed you and put you on TikTok and it’s got 100,000 views.’ I was like, ‘Is that good?’” Goodall told Parade . “By the end of the weekend, it was in a million. By the time it reached 3 million, Journey and Steve Perry commented. Then Steve Perry, who’s a recluse and doesn’t say much at all, put me on all of his social media. His fans were commenting. Because if he’s on board, then it’s OK. If it was OK with Steve, then it was OK with them.”

A producer saw the video and reached out to Goodall about auditioning for “AGT.” A few months later, Goodall had a plane ticket to California.

Since auditioning for “AGT,” Goodall has drawn comparisons to Susan Boyle, a singer who rose to fame on “Britain’s Got Talent” with her rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” from “Les Miserables.”

“If you dig a little deeper into Susan, she’s still in her same house. She redid her house but she’s still in the same house and, yes, she’s made quite a big name for herself and she’s worth money, but she still has stayed true to herself,” Goodall told Parade . “I’m along those lines. ... Just a few months ago, I was just Mr. Richard, treating the floors, changing the light bulbs, and now it’s kind of different. I’m still at the school and all that, but it’s kind of different.”

Goodall has also become a fan favorite on “AGT” this season.

“It makes me feel good,” he told TV Insider . “Meaning, I never dreamed that me, and my job, and me singing to the kids would impact the world the way it has. ... My life has changed knowing I have inspired people to take small chances.”

When is the ‘AGT’ 2024 finale?

The final performances for the “AGT” top 10 aired Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. MDT on NBC.

“AGT” will reveal the Season 19 winner during a two-hour finale that starts at 8 p.m. MDT on Sept. 24.

How to vote on ‘AGT’

Viewers can vote for their favorite “AGT” act online at agt.vote.nbc.com or through the AGT mobile app, which is available both in Apple’s app store and Google Play.

Each voting method allows up to 10 votes.