On Tuesday, May 28, 2024, Richard Goodall received the Golden Buzzer during the season 19 premiere of America\u2019s Got Talent after delivering a rousing performance of the 1981\u00a0Journey classic \u201cDon\u2019t Stop Believin\u2018.\u201d Before his AGT breakthrough, the 55-year-old janitor from Terre Haute, Indiana had been singing for himself and his students at a local middle school but never took his big voice to a larger stage.<\/p>\n
Goodall first tried out for AGT in 2009 in Chicago, but never made it past the open auditions. Before his 2024 audition, he had never even been on a plane but made the trip to Los Angeles to give it another try.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I took off from Indianapolis, I felt that front wheel come off the ground and you have this floating [feeling], you\u2019re no longer stable,\u201d said Goodall of the experience during an AGT pre-taped interview \u201cAnd that\u2019s what this whole experience is like right now. It\u2019s a good off-balance but until you actually do something, you don\u2019t know if it\u2019s right for you or not.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cI\u2019m not a fancy person. I take out the trash. I wipe off the tables, I sweep the floors. I\u2019m just having fun and I\u2019m trying to make people happy. The kids would hear me sing and they tell me that I\u2019ve got talent. That\u2019s why I\u2019m here, that\u2019s why I got on a plane.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before Goodall returns for America\u2019s Got Talent Live Shows, which begin Tuesday, August 13, here are some things to know about the singing janitor from Indiana.<\/p>\n