A singing janitor from Indiana won season 19 of “America's Got Talent” during Tuesday's finale.
Richard Goodall, who had never been on an airplane before becoming a contestant on the NBC reality show, beat out dance duo Roni Sagi & Rhythm to win the show's coveted $1 million prize and a new car.
“Simon [Cowell] “Two minutes can change your life. My life was transformed and I did it,” Goodall said after streamers came on stage to congratulate the winner. He was joined on stage by Cowell and fellow judges Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel, as well as host Terry Crews.
Students at the Terre Haute, Indiana, elementary school where Goodall worked for 23 years encouraged him to audition for “AGT.” He’s been a favorite of Klum, who awarded him the rare Golden Buzzer on an audition episode in May after he sang the Journey classic “Don’t Stop Believin'.” The musical moment was complete during the finale when Goodall got the chance to perform the 1981 hit with Journey co-founder Neal Schon and members of the band.
Goodall had a penchant for performing '80s power ballads throughout the season, performing covers of Michael Bolton's “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,” Survivor's “Eye of the Tiger,” and Journey's “Faithfully” during the competition.
At 56, Goodall became the oldest contestant to win “America's Got Talent,” displacing singer-impersonator and ventriloquist Terry Fator, who was 42 when he won the show's second season in 2007.
Earlier this season, “AGT” broke an improbable Guinness World Record: the record for the most people to wear underwear on their heads for at least one minute.
