Paperboy hat-donning Richard Goodall , the self-proclaimed " singing janitor " from Indiana who auditioned with an emotional rendition of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" that went viral , took home the top prize during the "AGT" finale Tuesday night.
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Finally, the collaboration everyone had been waiting for happened when Goodall fan Neal Schon joined the singing custodian on stage with the band Journey. Of course, they had to sing the song that started it all, "Don't Stop Believin'."
"You are such an amazing man. You are so humble, you're so kind. You are also a little bit quiet, but not when you are behind the microphone!" Klum told Goodall during the final round. "Then you are a big rockstar! ... I want you to win this so bad, Richard."
"You are our hero," Cowell said, while Mandel placed his bets on Goodall winning it all: "I think you just sang yourself $1 million. I believe this is the winner."
'Music was the bridge' for Richard Goodall after losing his wife
"AGT" was a fish-out-of-water experience for Goodall, who has worked in the same western Indiana school district for 23 years and boarded a plane for the first time to audition for the NBC competition show.
He grew up belting along to his RadioShack stereo and in the '90s performed at karaoke nights. He performed with two gospel trios until the pandemic put a halt on those ventures. 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 Indianapolis Star , part of the USA TODAY Network, in May. "And music was the bridge again."
The week before the finale, he married his fiancée , Angie Vanoven, with his "AGT" family in attendance. He announced on Facebook that they are now Richard and Angela VanGoodall.
In 2022, Goodall went viral for the first time with his rendition of "Don't Stop Believin'" at his students' graduation. Even former Journey frontman Steve Perry praised the performance.
"I don't have any expectations of winning the show," he said. "I'm going to give it my all and I'm going to try to be the best competitor that I can be."
He revealed his plans to put the $1 million prize toward a double-wide trailer so he could move into a senior living community in Florida and enjoy retirement — with the occasional pasta and seafood dinner. "I'm not a fancy person," he said.
This was a sympathy win. He shouldn’t have won. He was awful. Who in their right mind is going to sign him in Vegas for his own show? Nobody because nobody is going to pay to go see him.
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