Singing janitor, fan-favorite, and now season champion. Richard Goodall is the new king of America’s Got Talent.
The powerful vocalist, who won Heidi Klum’s Golden Buzzer earlier in the competition, heard his name called on Tuesday night’s episode, beating out nine other finalists.
Goodall wept as the glitter rained down, and season 19 of AGT reached its conclusion. “Simon (Cowell) says ‘two minutes can change your life,” he remarked. “My life has been changed.”
Proving romance isn’t dead, Goodall married his fiancée, Angie Vanoven, in the week leading up to the final. “Ang, I did it,” he called out to his wife as the AGT celebrations kicked off.
“I’m so excited for you Richard,” Klum shouted.
Across his victorious AGT run, Goodall caught the nation’s attention with a cover of Michael Bolton’s power ballad “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,” Survivor’s ultimate fight song “Eye of the Tiger” and, finally, Journey’s “Faithfully.”
Life imitated art when, during the finale, Goodall teamed up with Journey’s Neal Schon for a rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin,’” which he hit for the first round of Auditions.
By day, the 55-year-old is an elementary school janitor. Now, on top of bragging rights, he collects AGT’s $1 million prize.
“Thankfully it’s a song that I had been singing to Ang for a very, very long time,” Goodall told NBC of his decision to sing “Faithfully.” “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.”
After his performance of “Faithfully” last week, a standing ovation from the entire room. “I could feel the energy behind me. Honestly, from the minute you came on the show,” Simon Cowell remarked. We all “need a hero right now and you are our hero.”
Howie Mandel made a bold prediction: “I think you just sang yourself $1 million”. He was right.
Watch the big reveal below.
