America’s Got Talent 2024 Winner: Indiana’s ‘Singing Janitor’ Takes the Crown

“America’s Got Talent” has crowned its latest winner.

Donning a paperboy cap Tuesday night’s “AGT” finale saw Richard Goodall, the self-described “singing janitor” from Indiana, win first place. Goodall’s impassioned performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” during his audition went viral.

The powerhouse singer, who won Heidi Klum’s golden buzzer, beat out nine other finalists, including gravity-defying Tanzanian acrobats Hakuna Matata Acrobats, Zimbabwean stand-up comedian Learnmore Jonassi and Japanese dance group Air Footworks. As the night drew to a close, the competition was narrowed down to Goodall and the Israeli-born dog duo Roni Sagi and Rhythm.

The collaboration everyone was waiting for finally happened when Neal Schon, a Goodall fan, accompanied him onstage at the Guardian to sing with the band Journey. Of course, she had to sing the song that started it all, “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

During her time on “AGT,” Goodall won the hearts of American voters with performances of Michael Bolton’s “How Am I Supshed to Live Without You,” Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” and finally, Journey’s “Faithfully.”

Ahead of the big unveiling, performances included historic Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, who was joined by members of the Gold Over America Tour, Michael Bublé, Steve Aoki, Gabriel Iglesias and Andra Day.

Goodall’s win was welcome news to Klum, Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and host Terry Crews, who had been impressed with the Hoosier from the start.

“You are such an amazing man. You are so humble, you’re so kind. You are also a little bit quiet, but not when you are behind the microphone!” Klum told Goodall during the final round. “Then you are a big rockstar! … I want you to win this so bad, Richard.”

“You’re our hero,” Cowell said, and Mandel bet Goodall would win it all: “I think you just sang yourself $1 million. I believe this is the winner.”

“Music was a bridge” for widowed Richard Goodall

“AGT” was Goodall’s first foray into the same Western Indiana school district after 23 years and his first foray into the same Western Indiana school district. When he got on a plane to audition for the NBC competition show, he felt like a fish out of water.

He grew up singing along to RadioShack stereos and performed at karaoke nights in the ’90s. He performed with two gospel trios until the pandemic shut those ventures down. And in 2021, Goodall’s wife, Patty, died of cancer.

“When you`re married for so long and they pass away and you’ve got that void there, your biggest concern is figuring out who you are without them,” he told the Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, in May. “And music was the bridge again.”

The week before the finale, he married his fiancée, Angie Vannoven, in the presence of his “AGT” family. He announced on Facebook that their names are now Richard and Angela Van Goodall.

In 2022, Goodall made headlines for the first time when he performed “Don’t Stop Believin'” at a student graduation ceremony. Former Journey frontman Steve Perry also praised the performance.

“I don’t have any expectations of winning the show,” he said. “I’m going to give it my all and I’m going to try to be the best competitor that I can be.”

He revealed his plans to use his $1 million prize money on a double trailer to move into his retirement home in Florida and enjoy retirement — a meal of pasta and seafood every now and then. “I’m not a fancy person,” he said.