You may know him as the “Singing Janitor” and winner of “America’s Got Talent,” but Richard Goodall says he is still the same guy from Terre Haute.

It has been a few months since his big win, and he has become a national household name.

“I don’t take none of this for granted,” Goodall says. “Never ever dreamed in a million years I’d be the guy who inspires.”

From “Don’t Stop Believin’” to “Eye of the Tiger,” Goodall is bringing back the classics and inspiring the nation.

Goodall says he loves paying homage and keeping the old-school classics alive, sharing what the song he auditioned with and landed the Golden Buzzer means to him.

“It’s a mantra, you know, the song speaks for itself,” he says. “I mean, here I am — a regular guy working a regular job, doing what most people do Monday through Friday, just paying the bills, and then I get my big break. Never did I ever dream that everything that has happened to me, but if somebody would have told me six months ago that I was going to do all I did, I would have laughed at them. But because I’m not really a risk taker, but between the kids and definitely they just pushed me and told me that I have what it takes. Yeah, I did it. I still can’t believe it.”

Currently, Goodall is back at West Vigo Middle School with the kids, but he’s also been traveling to several schools to perform classic tunes. He’s also performed the National Anthem at many Indiana sporting events.

Goodall says he received a very big welcome back… especially from the children.

“I signed so many tennis shoes, cell phone cases, took so many selfies, so, yeah, I mean, they were very, very excited,” he recalls.

Despite winning the popular competition show, Goodall says he is still the same person on the inside and out.

He says since he appeared on the show, he’s received hundreds of messages from fans saying his story inspired them.

“Listening to you sing ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ gave me power enough to say, ‘Okay, I’m going to try, and the worst they can do is tell me no.’ And that’s exactly how I went into the audition round,” Goodall says. “Inspiring so many people was just an absolute icing on this big cake, and then getting a new home is like the candle being lit.”

Copyright 2024 WNDU. All rights reserved.