America’s Got Talent winner, Richard Goodall brings his classic rock style to Anderson’s Paramount Theater.
By: Kevin Vickery
If you happened to miss last season of America’s Got Talent (AGT) then you might not know that the 2024 winner of season nineteen was from right here in the Hoosier state. Richard Goodall also known as “the singing janitor” claimed the victory as he won over not only the show’s judges, Simon Cowell, Heide Klum, Sophia Vergara, and Howie Mandel but also the show’s national audience with his story of humble beginnings and his powerful singing voice.
Richard received the “golden buzzer” on his first round from Heidi Klum which sends an act straight to the live shows bypassing judges cuts. He wowed the crowd with his spot-on version of Journey’s, “Don’t Stop Believin’” and then progressed through the other rounds with equally vocally demanding songs like, Survivor’s, “Eye of the Tiger”, Michael Bolton’s, “How am I Supposed to Live Without You”, and eventually claimed his victory with Journey’s, “Faithfully”.
Richard claimed his one million dollar prize and came back to his modest beginnings in his hometown of Terra Haute, IN where it all began at his job as custodian, working for the
Vigo County School Corporation for 23 years.
That’s where his journey began when a teacher posted a video of him singing to the students near the end of the school year which promptly went viral and eventually paved the way for his trip to Burbank California to compete on AGT. Prior to that, Richard at 53 years old had never been on an airplane or traveled west of Missouri but with the faith and support of his friends and family, particularly his beloved fiancée Ang, he found the strength and courage to rise to the challenge.
Now that the dust has settled a bit from an experience that Richard explained to me as, “a roller-coaster ride in a tornado”, he has returned to his normal life in Terra Haute which now includes making a lot more time for music while, “still plugging away at the school”.
I had the opportunity to speak with him prior to his show at The Paramount Theater in Anderson and get his thoughts about what the last couple years have been like for him. I asked him about the highlights of his time since the show and he said, “At now 55 years old, I’m doing all this stuff I only dreamed of as a kid. I can’t thank AGT enough for the experience and I’ve met so many interesting people and celebrities.”
In addition to the show’s all-star line up of judges and host, Terry Crews, he includes members of The Commodores, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Village People on the list of musicians he’s been able to meet along with actor/comedians like Dana Carvey, David Spade, and of course Howie Mandel who he has since had the opportunity to work with as an opening act which he called, “an experience he’ll never forget.” He also has a show booked in the opening slot for Jay Leno in May.
His influence by the band Journey has lead him to opportunities with them as well. He says in the 6 months since he won AGT, that he’s “stayed in touch with the band and is planning on doing a couple things with them in the near future.” He added, “Meeting and performing with the guys from Journey was so awesome and they were so nice to me when my wife and I got married on the show”.
It’s not only Richard’s strong voice and impressive vocal range that make him great. America fell in love with him for his humble presence and genuine personality. This shines through when I asked him what was next with his future music plans. He said, “Just like on the show, when I went through the rounds, I didn’t really have any expectations about the next round. I have that same level of expectation after the show. Whatever opportunities come my way, I take them gladly and have an amazing time meeting all these amazing people and just having the time of my life.”
I’ve read a lot a comments that people have posted on Richard’s video clips and firmly believe that he is a living, breathing underdog story. On that Richard said, “The people who have reached out have been incredible. I’ve had people drive from all over the country to see my shows. I never dreamed that people would want to drive anywhere to see me do anything.”
On being an inspiration to others he added, “People have told me that after seeing me win on AGT, it inspired them to take a chance and finally go for that big promotion and that listening to me made them realize to stop doubting themselves and to understand that if you don’t put yourself out there, you’re never going to get any results.”
He continued, “I took the risk by jumping on that plane. You can tell when you watch my performance on the show that I’m uncomfortable talking to the judges and getting the reaction on camera… But when that piano riff starts, that’s my home… That’s my center. Music is definitely my comfort zone.”
Richard’s show at The Paramount Theatre was great and chock full of not just the songs he performed on AGT but also other Journey classics like, “Anyway You Want It”, “Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’”, “Separate Ways”, and “Send Her My Love” which I’ve never heard anyone play besides Journey and for deeply personal reasons, brings tears to my eyes every single time I hear it. It also brought a big smile to my face when he played Journey’s, “Stone in Love” because if I’m doing the math correctly, it was exactly 35 years ago when my old band, Vice Versa won the “Battle of the Bands” at that same theater, playing that very song.
Richard is backed by the Anthem Radio Band that consists of well seasoned, road warrior musicians from the Las Vegas and Los Angeles area. Their line-up consists of guitarist Steve Burchell, keyboardist Barry Allen and rounding out their rhythm section is drummer Jeff Jarrett and Jonathan Harris on bass. This group also includes lead vocalist Mike Flynn who adds to the show by also covering vocal duties throughout the set on other ‘80s rock classics like, “Sweet Child o’ Mine” & “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses, and Bon Jovi’s, “Livin’ on a Prayer” & “You Give Love a Bad Name”.
Back home in Terra Haute he is also working with local musicians forming a band called Sugar Shack that has already done their first show and according to Richard, “There’s talk of writing and recording original material with a classic rock, ‘80s feel with those guys, hopefully by early Summer.”
Richard had never been to The Paramount Theater before so I asked him his thoughts on the venue and he said, “Oh my God! It’s so gorgeous… just the ornate architecture. They don’t make stuff like this anymore. It’s so pristine…. just a gorgeous facility!”
If you’re unfamiliar with the Paramount, it sits at 1124 Meridian Street in downtown Anderson. The theater has a rich history since its opening in 1929 and has a beautiful interior appearance that was designed as what is known as an “atmospheric theater” and made to resemble a Spanish Courtyard at night. It has gone through serious renovation throughout the years to keep it alive and thriving and it has most certainly been well worth the effort.
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of working many events there in various capacities including performing there a few times. It’s a super-cool venue and Richard’s retro-rock show offered a great experience for all those in attendance.
For more information about events at the Paramount Theater you can check out their facebook page or their official website at: andersonparamount.org
Richard will be performing on Saturday, June 14th at Depot Street Park in Greenfield which is a great local outdoor venue that I highly recommend checking out if you get the chance. For more information or to keep up with his schedule visit his official website at thesingingjanitor.com.
Make Some Noise 